


Hijinks and Hauntings at the OKΣ House

by GleeCastOST



Series: The Sisters of OKΣ [1]
Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Crack, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleeCastOST/pseuds/GleeCastOST
Summary: As Halloween grows closer, Shannon and Ava take their pranks to the next level - much to everyone's annoyance. When things start getting too scary, everyone is quick to blame them. Is it possible that there's a darker entity living amongst them?
Relationships: Shotgun Mary/Shannon Masters, Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva, Sister Camila/Sister Lilith (Warrior Nun)
Series: The Sisters of OKΣ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1962718
Comments: 107
Kudos: 290





	1. Backpack Spaghetti

**Author's Note:**

> this is fucking stupid lol

“Ava! For fuck’s sake!” Mary shouted from downstairs. Ava erupted into a fit of giggles, interrupting the studying she had been doing with Beatrice. She couldn’t help but sigh, Ava’s pranks had been the talk of the house for weeks. No one, save for Shannon, was very happy about it. Before she could reflect on it further, Mary pounded up the stairs and was at Ava’s door in a moment. 

“Seriously, Ava!” Mary yelled, holding up her school bag, which was overflowing with cold, cooked spaghetti. 

“I…” Ava paused to laugh. “I wanted you to _past-a_ your math class!” She exploded with giggles, although Mary only stared at her with anger. Beatrice, conversely, wished she could disappear into her own room. The last thing she wanted was to be between Ava and Mary.

“Ava, I swear to _God._ ” Mary leapt forward, but Ava rolled out of the way and dashed for the door. Beatrice heard her plod through the hallway and down the stairs. Most likely, to hide out in Shannon’s room. “I don’t know how you deal with her, Beatrice.” 

“Sometimes, I don’t either.” Beatrice replied with a sigh.

“I’ll leave you to your study, then.” Mary said quietly, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. 

Beatrice leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. Sometimes, she wondered why she’d joined this sorority at all. Well, she knew _why,_ but she often wondered if it was worth it. Living in this house with five other girls was chaotic at the best of times. Lately though, Shannon and Ava’s pranks had gotten out of hand, making everything a little bit worse. Still, Beatrice couldn’t deny that her sisters of Omicron Kappa Sigma were her best friends. And maybe one of them, more than a friend. 

In Shannon’s room, she and Ava laughed hysterically at their latest prank. “Oh Shannon, you should have seen Mary’s face when she came busting in the door!” Ava was doubled over as she tried to recount it.

“Man, the bar just got so much higher! We really need to plan something special for this next one!” Shannon was giggling nearly as much as Ava. 

“I think I have an idea…” Ava trailed off, although her intentions were clearly maniacal. 

The two of them planned for hours, up until dinner time. Halloween was fast approaching and they both decided that it was time to start scaring their fellow sisters. Ava helped Shannon write up a shopping list of supplies. Decorating the house for the holiday was overdue, and since Shannon was the chapter president, no one would notice if she snuck a few extra items into the cart at the Halloween store. 

“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Ava exclaimed, as Shannon illustrated one of her ideas.

“Right?” Shannon couldn’t help but laugh anew. “Lilith is going to kill us both though, we might have to sleep with one eye open.”

“For this, that’s a price I’m willing to pay.” Ava matched Shannon’s enthusiasm.

“Oh, I’m glad to hear it.”

Shannon was in her second year as the OKΣ president. Ava had been a new recruit this year, since she was only a sophomore. While she had some trouble fitting in her first few weeks, Ava was quickly becoming her favourite. They bonded over a love of pranks, although their friendship was deeper than that, too. Both women shared a complicated past, which they had spent more than one drunken night commiserating over. 

Blissfully untouched by the prank drama, Lilith and Camila were in the kitchen. Camila was both the baby of the group, but simultaneously their mother. She cooked most of the meals, by choice, and baked near daily. Suffice to say, everyone loved her. She was the picture of warmth and kindness, although she’d put you in your place if the need arose. 

Lilith, however, was the exact opposite. Dark and brooding, she was much more reserved than Camila. She socialised with her sisters somewhat, yet there were always walls that she kept up. As one of the sorority’s senior members, she had more contacts throughout the school, which could be used to her advantage. This was doubly true because her parents were some of the school’s biggest donors. When it was time for the yearly sorority prank, Lilith’s connections almost always helped the cause. 

That night, the six of them gathered around the dinner table. Lilith and Camila had cooked together, and the sorority chapter rules mandated that everyone eat together. 

“Thank you for cooking, Camila.” Beatrice thanked her quietly. 

“Of course. Lilith helped, too.” Camila added before flashing Lilith a quick grin. The pair had just started dating, an odd couple to be sure, but their interactions were adorable to say the least. 

“Sorry I’m late!” Ava yelled as she ran into the room and took her seat. “Thank you both for cooking. Smells delicious, looks delicious.” 

“Ava, I love you, but you have serious crackhead energy sometimes.” Mary teased her with a grin. 

“That’s what all the ladies tell me.” Ava flipped her hair jokingly.

“Enough, you two.” Shannon restored order, for the moment. “Camila, Lilith, thank you for cooking.”

“You’re welcome.” Lilith answered quietly, she was more withdrawn than Camila. 

“How was everyone’s day at school?” Ava asked with a wide grin, even as everyone groaned around her. She’d asked the same question nearly every day since the semester started. 

“Other than you filling my backpack with cold noodles, my day was good.” Mary answered first, humouring Ava if nothing else. 

“I heard about that…” Shannon whispered, eliciting a smile from Ava and a glare from Mary.

“I bet you did.” Mary replied snarkily. 

Mary’s glare, however, was followed by a quick kiss on the cheek. Unlike Lilith and Camila, Shannon and Mary were almost an institution. They had been together their entire four years at school. Ava constantly referred to them as wives, and while no one else did, she wasn’t alone in the sentiment. 

“My day was probably better than Mary’s.” Camila chimed in. “Since my backpack _wasn’t_ full of pasta. Plus, I got an A on the paper I had been worried about.” 

“Hey, great job!” Ava clapped her on the back, perhaps a little too hard. 

“I’m proud of you.” Beatrice added in a small voice. 

Camila, like Ava, was a new recruit and a sophomore. Unlike Ava, Camila seemed to have her academic priorities figured out. She declared her major the first day she arrived on campus, having decided on ancient history when she was still a kid. Ava, however, seemed perpetually undecided. There were only a few weeks left until the deadline to declare, which Beatrice worried Ava would miss. 

“Thank you both.” Camila said warmly, before giving Lilith a gentle elbow. “How was your day?” 

“It was fine.” Lilith answered, electing to not provide any further details. 

“Very verbose, Lilith.” Mary told her with a joking smile. “How about you, Beatrice?” 

“Also fine.” She answered, neglecting to elaborate. 

“You two are both killing me!” Ava exclaimed. “Is it so ridiculous to think that we might actually care about you?” 

“Ava, chill.” Shannon told her with a smile. “We might just have to _scare_ the words out of them.” 

“Oh! Great idea!” Ava laughed as her eyes sparkled with mischief. 

“Do I want to know?” Mary asked.

“Probably not.” Shannon told her in a whisper.

Later that night, Beatrice sat at her desk, working through the mountain of chemistry homework she had been assigned. Before she could get through them, though, there was a knock at her door. She stood quickly and crossed the room. Ava stood in the doorway, looking much more shy than she had at dinner.

“Hi.” Ava mumbled. 

“Hello.” Beatrice greeted her. “What’s up?”

“I just…” Ava shuffled awkwardly. “You didn’t really answer me at dinner, but I actually wanted to know how your day was.” 

“Oh.” Beatrice took a deep breath and tried to calm her sudden nerves. “Come in.” 

Ava did as requested, carefully crossing the threshold into Beatrice’s tidy room. “So… How are you?” 

“I’m okay, Ava.” Beatrice answered as she took her seat once more. 

“Alright…” Ava had a slight blush in her cheeks as she perched on the edge of Beatrice’s bed. “But I’m greedy. I want more than that.” 

“Such as?” 

“What did you learn about in class today?” Ava asked. 

“Do you genuinely want to hear about my electrochemistry lab?” Beatrice wondered, simultaneously frustrated and nervous. Ava didn’t miss the change in her tone.

“Okay, okay. Sorry, I’ll go. I shouldn’t have bothered you.” 

“No!” Beatrice turned quickly, just as Ava stood to leave. “Sorry. I’m just stressed. But you should be, too!”

“Why’s that?” Ava wondered, her eyes wide.

“There’s only a few weeks left for you to declare a major. Have you decided yet?” 

“I…” Ava looked down at her sock covered feet, avoiding Beatrice’s gaze. “No.”

“Ava…” Beatrice warned, only to be interrupted by a tapping noise from inside the closet. 

“What’s that?”

“Probably Shannon.” Beatrice crossed the room. “Did you just come in here to prank me?” Her accusation made Ava shrink slightly.

“I genuinely didn’t.” Ava replied, the hurt obvious in her face. 

“Oh. Sorry.” Beatrice whispered as she opened the closet door. “Weird. There’s nothing here.”


	2. Demon in the Cupboard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava meets JC and gets in trouble, meanwhile, Shannon pranks Camila.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont know anything

“If we take the first derivation of our function and graph it, you can see that there are two intersection points…” Ava’s professor droned on, while Ava leaned on her hand and tried to stay awake. 

“Hey.” The guy who was sitting in front of Ava whispered to her. 

“Hi.” Ava replied, equally quiet. 

“I’m JC.” He told her, with an extended hand.

“Ava.”

“You’re in Omicron right?” JC asked with a smile.

“I am!” 

“Cool! I’m in Alpha Sig Sig.” 

“Oh?” Ava mumbled. “Aren’t you the fraternity that’s hosting this year’s Halloween Bash?” 

“We are. Are you coming?” 

“All of us are!” Ava grinned. “Although we still haven’t chosen costumes.”

“Ava Silva!” Her professor barked. Everyone’s eyes suddenly turned to the back of the room. “Since you feel like you can flirt with boys during my lecture, you must already know the material. Why don’t you come up to the board and solve this next problem for us?”

“I…” Ava opened her mouth to defend herself, then decided against it. “Okay.” She walked up to the whiteboard, cheeks aflame. 

She stared at the problem for a moment. It seemed to be staring back at her. Ava was infinitely more preoccupied with the embarrassment of the situation than the math, but she tried to focus. After a few moments, she figured it out and began working. Hastily, she scrawled out an answer and headed back to her seat. The professor gave her a dirty look and continued the lecture. 

As the class finished, her professor dismissed everyone. “Ava, a word please?” She requested. JC shot her a sympathetic look as he passed her a scrap of paper. His phone number was penned across it, along with a smiley face. Ava grinned and shoved it in her pocket, before heading over to the professor’s desk.

“I’m sorry for not paying attention.” Ava apologised quickly.

“I know. I can see that on your face. Here’s what’s frustrating, though.” She shuffled a few papers around, withdrawing Ava’s from the pile. “You aren’t bad at math. You have a sharp mind, I’d love to see you apply yourself.” 

“Oh…” Ava whispered, looking at the test sheet. She’d gotten a near perfect score. 

“I know what it’s like to be young, believe it or not. I promise you there will be plenty of time to flirt with cute guys  _ outside  _ of my class.” She smiled kindly.

“Oh, I wasn’t flirting with him.” Ava couldn’t help but blurt out.

“Ava. I thought we were being honest with one another here?” 

“We are. But…” Ava paused, wondering if her math professor was really the best person to discuss this with. “I’m gay.”

“Oh?” She laughed. “Well, even less of a reason for him to be a distraction, then.” 

“It won’t happen again.” Ava promised. She was quickly starting to like her professor and didn’t want to disappoint her. 

“Good. And start doing your homework, okay? You’ve gotten an A on every test and quiz, but you still have a C in my class. An undeserved C, if you ask me.” Her professor told her after a quick glance at her grade book. 

“Okay. Got it.” 

“Glad to hear it.”

In the bathroom down the hall, Ava slammed her textbook onto the shelf and splashed cold water on her face. Then, she looked at her wet face in the mirror. In her panic, she couldn’t help but laugh. It was entirely on brand that the first person she would come out to would be her math professor. Still, Ava couldn’t deny how  _ good  _ it felt to finally tell someone. She dried her face and tried to compose herself, since she was already late for her next class. 

Shannon giggled to herself as she pulled on the demonic mask she’d bought the night before. Carefully, she folded herself into the kitchen cupboard, suppressing the laughter of anticipation. She waited for several minutes, knowing Camila was going to get back from class at any moment. Eventually, Shannon heard the lock on the door slide open. She tensed herself in preparation. 

Camila was humming to herself as she crossed into the house. She’d had a great day in class. The entire session was a spirited discussion on the viability of ancient philosophies in the modern world. She had participated with vigor, enjoying every minute of it. Even now, she was still thinking about the ideas her professor had posed to the class. Her distraction, however, would end up being her downfall. 

“ARRGGHHH!!!” Shannon yelled as she burst from the cabinet. 

“Ahh!!” Camila screamed, hilariously high pitched, as she stumbled back. Shannon pulled the mask off and quickly doubled over in laughter. “Fucking hell!”

“That was a good one.” Shannon panted through her giggles.

“No it wasn’t!” Camila shook slightly as she struggled to relax. “One of these days someone is going to get you back for all of these pranks!” 

“I hope they do!” Shannon told her with a grin, before leaving the room. 

With a sharp exhale, Camila sat down at the kitchen table and dropped her backpack to the floor. She was motionless for several seconds, trying to calm down. Eventually, she rose again. There was baking that needed to be done. Her thoughts flew back to her class’s discussion as she floated around the room and gathered the ingredients she’d need. 

By the time Camila had mixed everything together and was about to put the pan into the oven, she had all but forgotten Shannon’s latest prank. When an infernal tapping filled the room, though, the memory came rushing back. It sounded as though it was coming from inside the panty. Camila braced herself to be scared again and opened the pantry door while she turned on the light. 

She released her breath quickly, the pantry was empty. Well, it was full of food, but empty of a mischievous Shannon. Camila shrugged it off and returned to her baking. It was an old and chaotic house, sometimes it just made weird noises. Just then, Lilith slipped through the door and greeted Camila with a quick kiss.

“How are you?” Camila asked with a smile. 

“I’m okay.” Lilith took a seat at the table and watched Camila cook. “I’m tired. I just sat through a three hour lecture about the plague.” 

“You should have picked ancient history instead of…” Camila shuddered for effect. “European history.” 

“Ew, no.” Lilith let out a rare laugh.

“It’s not too late to switch majors!” Camila argued jokingly as she peered into the oven. 

“Yes it is!” Lilith shot back. “I’m a junior! I’d have to spend an extra year.”

“Would that be so bad?” Camila wondered with a sly wink.

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Lilith rolled her eyes. “What are you making?”

“Cookies. It seemed like a good day for it.” 

“You think every day is a good day for cookies.” 

“And I’ve never been wrong.” Camila answered. 

“I’m going to the library later, since studying here is impossible. Do you want to come? I’ll buy you a coffee.” Lilith offered.

“Of course. If Shannon jumps out at me once more, I might hit her.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Beatrice wandered out of her chemistry lab, the bright sun burning her skin after several hours in the too-cold and clinical building. Frantic movement and a glowing smile caught her eye. Ava. 

“Hi, I thought we could walk back together.” Ava said as Beatrice approached. “If that’s okay?”

“I’d like that.” Beatrice answered as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. 

“How was class?” Ava asked as they slowly headed back to the OKΣ house. 

“Long.” Beatrice sighed, savouring the fresh air. “But good. We are working through some interesting experiments right now.” 

“That’s good!” Ava was enthusiastic.

“How was your class?” 

“Well, my english class was fine, but math was… Not.” Ava replied with a slight hesitation. 

“Why’s that?” Beatrice was admittedly curious. 

“I was talking to this guy from Alpha Sig, instead of paying attention.” Ava began, while Beatrice tried desperately to hide her reaction. “He was nice and really friendly, but my professor got mad at me for talking during the lecture. So, she made me come up to the board and do a problem in front of the class.” 

“Oh.” A single syllable was all Beatrice could manage. 

“Then she made me talk to her after class. It was so embarrassing!” Ava felt herself turn red at the memory.

“What did she say?” 

“That I need to apply myself because I’m not stupid.”

“I agree with her.” Beatrice nodded. Initially, she had been surprised to find out that Ava was in mostly upper division classes, despite only being a sophomore. After getting to know her better, Beatrice realised Ava was more complicated than she could have ever predicted.

“No, don’t say that.” Ava was slightly exasperated. “She gave me my last test back, too. I only got one question wrong. But I still have a bad grade in the class because I haven’t been doing my homework.” 

“Ava.” Beatrice stopped in her tracks. “Why haven’t you been doing your homework?”

“I don’t know. I don’t find it interesting.” Ava took a deep breath. “If I can ace all the tests, why should I bother with it? There’s so much more I’d rather be doing!” 

“I don’t understand you at all.” Beatrice whispered as they continued down the sidewalk. 

“You know, I get that a lot actually.” Ava tried to joke, but she hated seeing Beatrice frustrated with her. 

“Did your professor say anything else? Did you?” Beatrice wondered, curious for more insight into Ava’s life, although she wouldn’t admit that.

“No.” Ava lied. “That was it.”


	3. Cupcakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava needs to get her shit together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ???????

Beatrice was working studiously, albeit alone, in her physics class. Her professor had given them the rest of the session to work through the problems he’d assigned. Most of the class collaborated in small groups, chatting amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Beatrice kept to herself, making quick work of the assignment. She was drawing the diagram for the last question when her professor interrupted. 

“Beatrice, can I speak to you for a moment?”

“Yes.” She answered simply, hiding her nerves. 

“Okay, follow me. We’ll chat in the hallway.” He seemed cheerful, but Beatrice felt like she was going to vomit. Was she in trouble? Had she done something wrong?

The hallway came too fast and she stood, looking anywhere but at her professor. “Beatrice, you are an exemplary student. One of my best. Stop looking around like I’m going to scold you.” He said with a smile.

“Okay.” She felt the nerves lessen slightly and met his gaze. 

“It’s going to be announced in the school paper tomorrow, but I thought I’d let you know beforehand. You’ve been awarded this year’s Fremantle Award.” His grin was huge as he relayed the news.

“But that’s…” Beatrice’s mind was racing. “That’s normally only for seniors. There must have been a mistake, I’m a junior.”

“There’s been no mistake.” He was adamant. “The science faculty’s vote was unanimous, that never happens. 

“Oh…” Beatrice knew her professor had expected more of a reaction, but she barely smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Congratulations. I’m excited to see what you announce for your capstone project.” He told her, before heading back into the classroom. Beatrice stood against the wall for several seconds, her mind racing. It wasn’t as though she felt the award wasn’t deserved, because she worked incredibly hard in all of her subjects. Moreso, she was concerned about the unnecessary attention it might bring. 

After class, Ava was waiting for Beatrice outside. She did this nearly everyday, even if she didn’t have class nearby - or at the same time. Yet, Beatrice never questioned it.

“How was class?” Ava asked, as she always did.

“It was fine.” 

“You always say that.” Ava looked exasperated. “I want the juicy details.”

“It was a physics lecture, there are no juicy details.” Beatrice smiled as she spoke, feeling lighter in Ava’s presence. 

“Lame.” Ava chuckled.

“Did you have class today?” 

“I did, but…” Ava trailed off, opting to look down at her feet as they walked. 

“Ava…” Beatrice had a feeling she knew what the younger girl would say.

“I didn’t go.” Ava admitted quietly.

“Why?” 

“I didn’t want to.” Ava’s cheeks burned. 

“What class was it?” Beatrice continued her interrogation.

“English 362. I think it’s called… Dissecting the classics, or something like that.” Ava answered.

“That’s a hard class.” Beatrice had heard horror stories about it from other students.

“I don’t think it’s that difficult. I don’t know.” Ava ran a hand through her messy hair. “But it’s  _ boring.  _ Beatrice, I cannot emphasise enough how boring it is.” Upon hearing Ava say her name, Beatrice swore she felt her heart speed up slightly. 

“That doesn’t mean you can’t go, though!” Beatrice uttered after a moment’s pause, which she needed to collect herself. 

“I already did the readings. And I’m nearly done with my paper, too. I just didn’t want to go.” Ava explained, earning her a confused look from Beatrice. 

“You know, when most people skip class, it’s because they  _ haven’t  _ done the work.” 

“I guess I’m not most people.” Ava whispered as a sharp wind whipped through the air. It was decidedly autumn now and leaves crunched beneath their feet. 

“I’m starting to realise that.” 

“And you think it’s super fun and quirky?” Ava prompted as her smile returned. 

“Something like that.” Beatrice muttered as they entered the house. 

“Hey guys!” Camila greeted them as she buzzed around the kitchen. Lilith offered a wave from her seat at the table. 

“Oh my  _ God,  _ it smells amazing in here!” Ava’s voice was nearly a yell. “Camila, what are you making?” 

“Cupcakes.” Camila answered simply as she cooked. 

“ _ Cupcakes?! _ ” Ava repeated, her eyes wide with disbelief. She crossed the kitchen in an instant and hugged Camila. “Sorry, Lilith. I’m going to have to steal your girl. No hard feelings, right?” 

“I’d like to see you try.” Lilith smirked.

“I’m going to go study.” Beatrice whispered from the doorway, disappearing down the hall before anyone could reply. Deep down, though she’d never admit it, she hated seeing Ava behave like that, joke or otherwise. At least, she hated when it was with someone else. 

Ava watched Beatrice’s exit, her face falling slightly as she left. She quickly composed herself though, and perched atop the counter.

“Did anything exciting happen to either of you today?” She asked. 

“Not really.” Camila answered first. “At least, not to either of you, although I thought today’s lecture on Mesopotamia was amazing.”

“You’re right, that isn’t exciting.” Ava quipped, earning herself a light slap on the leg from Camila. “How about you Lil?” 

“Don’t call me that.” Lilith told her. “My day was fine. I don’t know why you ask everyday. If something happens, I’ll be sure to let you know.” 

“I’m just trying to make conversation with my dear sisters.” Ava joked back, her hands over her heart. 

“Sorry to interrupt.” Shannon stuck her head through the doorframe. “Ava, can I talk to you for a minute?” 

“Yeah.” Ava slid off the counter. “Save me a cupcake, please.” She called behind her. 

“Here, we’ll talk in my room.” Shannon opened the door and let Ava in. 

“Am I in trouble?” Ava was suddenly concerned as to why Shannon couldn’t talk to her in front of Lilith and Camila.

“Well… Not yet.” Shannon sat on her bed and gestured for Ava to sit at the desk. “The dean called me today.” 

“And?” The good mood that Ava had been in was ruined. 

“You need to get your grades up.” Shannon took a deep breath. “You need at least a 3.0 to stay in Omicron.” 

“What do I have?” Ava had forgotten her password to log into the online portal that displayed students’ grades. 

“A 2.7. So, you’re almost there.” Shannon gave her an encouraging smile. “The dean also mentioned that he’d spoken to some of your teachers.” 

“Oh?” Ava wanted to disappear. 

“All of them said the same thing, more or less. You’re a bright woman, you just haven’t been applying yourself. Or, showing up at all.” 

“Sounds about right.” Ava admitted quietly. 

“Ava, all of us want you to stay a member of our chapter. What can I do to help you succeed?” Shannon’s concern was kind and genuine. 

“I…” Ava paused. She was far from used to having people care about her. It was disarming. “I don’t know.” 

“Let me know. Okay?” Shannon stood up. “I really hope you can figure it out, because we have a lot of pranks left to do.” 

“You’re right.” Ava conceded, uncharacteristically calm and reserved. “I’d better get to work, then.” Ava ran away before Shannon could say anything else.

Back within the safety of her room, Ava quickly keyed in the passcode to her computer, as tears began to fall from her face. Over and over again, she tried to log into the online portal, but kept getting denied.

“Fuck!” She couldn’t help but exclaim as she slammed the back of her head against the wall in frustration. Before she could continue her breakdown, there was a knock at the door. 

With hurried hands, Ava roughly brushed the tears from her face and crossed the room. She opened the door a crack, revealing Camila. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes.” Ava lied.

“Be honest.” Camila narrowed her eyes in an attempt to appear threatening. Between her cute outfit and curly hair, the effect was all but lost. 

“No.” Ava whispered, as fresh tears poured from her eyes. 

“Let me in.” Camila pushed the door open, closing it behind her. “What’s wrong?” 

“My grades are bad. I’m going to get kicked out of Omicron if I can’t get them up soon.” Ava told her quickly, sitting back down on the bed with her computer. “But I can’t even remember my stupid  _ fucking  _ password.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Camila sat next to her. “You can have your password reset if you email the IT department.” 

“Really?” Ava asked, her voice thick with defeat.

“Here.” Camila eased the computer from Ava’s shaking hands. “I can do it for you.” 

“Thank you.” Ava mumbled. “How are you so put together?” 

“Comparison is the thief of joy, Ava. You’ll figure it out, in your own way. With time, of course.” Camila offered some wisdom as she typed. 

“You are so wise.” Ava’s words had the cadence of the joke, but she was serious. 

“You’re not stupid. You just need to figure out what you’re passionate about. Even for the most disciplined people, working really hard at something they don’t care about is nearly impossible.” Camila explained. 

“Can I tell you something else?” Ava swallowed hard. She knew that there was another distraction keeping her focusing on her coursework. Sure, telling Camila wouldn’t solve all of her problems, but it might help. 

“Of course.” 

“I… I like girls.” Ava felt her cheeks burn at the admission. “You’re the first person I’ve told, except for my math teacher.” 

Camila jumped from the bed as though she’d been electrocuted. “You  _ what?! _ ” She did a strange, little dance, as though trying to force the excitement from her body. “Wait, you told your math professor before me?” 

“Ummm… Yes?” Ava breathed. 

“Are you going to tell anyone else?” Camila wondered. “How long have you known?” 

“Well… I think I only recently figured it out. My childhood was… Non-traditional, to say the least. Only in being here, in being free, did I begin to realise it.” Ava paused to think. “I mean, eventually I’ll tell people.” 

“I’m so happy for you!” Camila hugged Ava tightly, while privately thinking of how Beatrice would react to the news. 


	4. To Punch a Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava's prank on Lilith goes slightly wrong, but Beatrice is there to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one time, i was at pitt street mall (if you know, you know). there was a guy busking on an electric keyboard, as they usually is. as a joke, i shouted to him 'PLAY THE TWILIGHT SONG!' and you know what? he fucking did it. that crowded, annoying touristy area was packed and decorated with christmas stuff. but Bella's lullaby filled the air and man, oh man. what a goddamn magical moment that was.

That night, Shannon helped Ava climb into her costume. Along with the demon mask, Ava had dirty-looking and intentionally tattered robes hanging over her pajamas. 

“Perfect.” Shannon whispered with a devilish smile on her face. “I’ll text Lilith now. When she comes down, sneak into her room and find a place to hind. This is going to be awesome.” 

“Got it.” Ava giggled, heading around the corner. 

As soon as she heard Lilith come down the stairs, Ava crept up into her room. As silently as possible, Ava jammed herself between the open door and the wall, planning on tapping Lilith on the shoulder once she returned. It was genius. Before long, Lilith’s steps were audible on the stairway. Ava held her breath in an effort to suppress her giggles. Just as expected, Lilith crossed back into the room, allowing Ava to scare her.

“Ahh!!!!” Lilith shrieked, much more startled than Ava had anticipated. In her fearful reaction, however, she threw a punch at the demon’s face. The demon named Ava. 

“Oww…” Ava mumbled as she pulled off the mask, blood was already dripping from her nose. 

“Ava! You deserved that! _Jesus Christ!_ ” Lilith shouted in anger, while Ava couldn’t help but laugh, despite the pain in her face. 

“That sounded good!” Shannon chuckled as she appeared in Lilith’s doorway. “Oh, Ava, what happened to your face?” 

“You were in on this?” Lilith was frustrated with both of them now. 

“Of course I was, who do you think bought the costume?” Before anyone could reply, Beatrice was next to Shannon in the hall. 

“What happened? I heard screaming!” She looked slightly panicked as she spoke. 

“I scared Lilith!” Ava reported with a mischievous smile, even as blood coated her lips and chin. 

“Lilith, did you _hit_ her?” Beatrice’s tone was sharp, surprisingly so.

“She deserved it.” Lilith turned around, dismissive. “I’d love it if you guys could continue your conversation outside of my room. I have a midterm tomorrow.” She added. Shannon, Ava, and Beatrice reconveined in the hall. 

“That was great, Ava!” Shannon told her again, as she unzipped the robes that Ava was wearing. “Although I’ll need to wash the blood out of these. Better do that now.” Shannon carried the bundle of clothing down to the laundry room. 

“Come with me.” Beatrice took Ava’s hand in her own, feeling protective of Ava, even if she did deserve the injury. She was a menace, after all. 

“Okay.” Ava whispered, feeling as though the air had suddenly left the room. 

Beatrice led her into the bathroom, instructing Ava to sit on the counter. From the vanity, she withdrew a dark washcloth, running it under the sink until the water was warm. Gently, she cleaned the blood from Ava’s face, but the touch made her wince.

“I’m sorry.” Beatrice breathed, upon seeing Ava’s reaction. At first, she’d been acting upon instinct, but now, their proximity was overwhelming. 

“It’s okay.” Ava said in a hoarse voice. Her normal confidence and levity seemed to have abandoned her. 

“Ava…” The concern in Beatrice’s eyes was obvious. “I think your nose is broken.”

“Hmm…” Ava didn’t seem bothered. “It happens. Wouldn’t be the first time.” Beatrice stared at her for several seconds before speaking. 

“I do not understand you.” She continued to wash Ava’s face with tender movements. “Was all of this worth it for a prank?” 

“Oh, absolutely.” Ava grinned, despite the pain it caused, some of her humour finally returning. “You should have seen Lilith’s face. Priceless.” 

“I fear the day that I’m on the receiving end of one of these… _Pranks._ ” Beatrice said the last word with a clear disdain. 

“I…” Ava paused in thought, distracted by Beatrice’s gentle hands on her face. “I promise I won’t prank you.”

“Really?” Beatrice was curious what her motivations were. “Why?” 

“I just… Won’t.” Ava wasn’t ready to reveal her reasoning, but the promise was sound. For all of her shortcomings, Ava wasn’t a dishonest person. 

“I guess I’ll have to trust you.” Beatrice murmured as she attended to Ava’s injury. 

“I guess so.” Ava replied, with a small smile. 

“You’ve stopped bleeding.” Beatrice extended a hand to help Ava off the bathroom counter. Still hand in hand, she led Ava down to the kitchen. “Sit down.” She instructed, handing Ava a bag of frozen blueberries. 

“Thank you.” Ava mumbled as she pressed the bag to her face. 

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice sat down across from Ava at the table, needing to put some space between them if she wanted to retain the ability to think.

“So…” Ava began. It was clear that she felt as nervously awkward as Beatrice did. “Did anything exciting happen to you today?” 

“Other than -” Beatrice stopped. While she had wanted to keep it a secret, and largely still did, some small part of her wanted to tell Ava about what had happened in physics class. “I’m this year’s Fremantle Award recipient.” She said in a tiny voice. 

“What?!” Ava jumped up from her chair. “That’s amazing! Congratulations!” She pulled Beatrice up and hugged her tightly. 

“Thank you.” Beatrice managed to choke out from Ava’s embrace, feeling sure she would die. Everywhere Ava’s skin met her own was aflame. 

“Have you told everyone else yet?” Ava asked as she released Beatrice. “Camila is definitely going to have to make you a cake!” 

“I… No.” Beatrice admitted quietly. Ava looked surprised, but quickly composed herself. 

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me first. I will keep this a secret for you.” Ava’s response was surprisingly mature, especially for someone holding a bag of fruit over half her face. 

“That likely won’t be necessary. It will be in tomorrow’s school paper.” Beatrice told her, just as her physics professor had explained. 

“I’ll have to cut out the announcement and hang it up somewhere, then.” Ava joked with a kind smile. 

“Oh, _God._ ” Beatrice put her head in her hands. 

“Is it wrong for me to be proud? You’re one of my best friends. Granted, I only have five.” Ava laughed. “Although, one of them is Lilith. So maybe only four…” 

“I’m not used to having anyone be proud of me.” Beatrice surprised herself with the admission, the words spoken aloud before she’d had a chance to think them over. That never happened. 

“What?” Ava looked taken aback. “How is that possible?! You’re amazing!” She slapped the table as she spoke, for dramatic effect. 

“That might be a longer story that we have time to get into tonight.” Beatrice’s answer was cryptic at best. 

“I understand.” Ava’s tone fell to match Beatrice’s, her sensitivity to the unsaid was obvious. Beatrice was simultaneously happy that Ava didn’t push the issue, yet sad that Ava had immediately understood her subtext.

“Thank you.” Beatrice nodded, acknowledging Ava’s politeness. “How was your day?” 

“It was…” Ava scrunched up her face in thought. “It was mixed. Some real highs and some real lows.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Do you want to hear about it?” Ava countered with a raised eyebrow.

“I do.” Beatrice said with a small smile. She found herself smiling more often than usual in Ava’s presence. A coincidence, surely. 

“Okay.” Ava’s grin was massive. “Well, let’s start with the _most_ important event. A critical piece of the autumnal experience. The…” Ava set down the bag of blueberries and drummed her fingers on the table for dramatic effect. “Pumpkin. Spice. Latte.” 

“Don’t tell me you drink those. They’re disgusting.” 

“Of course I do!” Ava giggled. “Anyway, I had my first one of the season this morning. I went to the coffee shop with JC, the alpha sig guy from my math class.”

“Oh?” Beatrice worked hard to hide her reaction to Ava’s words. 

“He’s nice.” Ava seemed not to notice Beatrice’s subtle tension at the mention of JC. “But man, that PSL… Phenomenal.” 

“I still can’t believe you actually like them.” 

“Well, I’m not Bri’ish like you, so I won’t drink tea!” Ava quipped, in a terrible cockney accent. 

“I do not sound like that.” Beatrice told her lightly, aware that Ava was joking. 

“No, you don’t.” Ava agreed. “You sound refined and intelligent, always.” Her words were earnest, making Beatrice blush slightly. 

“What else happened today?” She wondered, desperate for a change in the subject. 

“I got in trouble, kind of.” Ava told her.

“How? With who?” Beatrice was curious. About Ava, more specifically. “Other than with Lilith, of course.” 

“The dean called Shannon today.” Ava’s face fell. “If I don’t get my grades up, and soon, I won’t be able to stay in omicron.” 

“Ava…” Beatrice began, her worry more than evident. Ava’s pulse quickened drastically as Beatrice said her name. “You need to start going to class! You’re too smart to be on academic probation.” 

“That’s what everyone seems to say.” Ava whispered, her head hung in shame. “Plus, I really need to declare a major.” 

“Are you any closer to deciding?” 

“I don’t know. I really am thinking about it though!” Ava sounded as though she was trying to defend herself. 

“I’m not trying to attack you for it. I’m only trying to help.” Beatrice replied, understanding Ava’s frustration. 

“I know, I know. Sorry.” She swiftly got up and put the frozen blueberries back in the freezer. Ava was sick of holding the bag to her face and she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Being around Beatrice for this long was… Intoxicating, for lack of a better word. 

“You’re going to have quite the bruise in the morning.” Beatrice observed as Ava sat back down. Most of the swelling was tempered by the ice, but a bruise was inevitable. 

“I’m oddly excited to see it.” Ava told her with a crooked smile, eager to put some distance between the talk about her academic performance. 

“I feel the need to reiterate, I don’t understand you.” 

“I hope Lilith isn’t too mad, this is pretty funny if you think about it.” Ava laughed while Beatrice regarded her with a confused expression. 

“Is it?” Beatrice asked.

“I think so, at least.” Ava met Beatrice’s gaze, an electricity between them. “Are you going to the party at the kappa house tomorrow night?”

“Oh… I don’t know.” This was not a sentence Beatrice said often. But like the laughs and smiles, Ava seemed to bring it out in her. 

“You might have to. I may be on academic probation, but I know you are low on the required amount of social outings.” Ava replied, correct of course. Their charter had specific rules mandating each sister to attend a certain number of parties per semester. While Beatrice had gradually adapted to living in the sorority house with her sisters, she still hated parties. 

“Are you going?” Beatrice wondered, knowing Ava’s presence would make it more manageable. 

“Most likely.” 

“Maybe I’ll make an appearance, then.” Beatrice allowed herself another smile. 

“Yes!” Ava exclaimed, doing little to hide her excitement. As she did so, there was a loud bang from the living room, which startled them both. 

“Hello?” Beatrice called, hating how her voice seemed to crack. She didn’t get a reply. “Ava, you promised you weren’t going to prank me!” 

“I’m not!” Ava answered, with a hint of fear in her words. She stood up, taking small steps towards the door. 

“Shannon?” Beatrice whispered, as she approached the light switch. “Is that you?” There was no reply. Her fingers trembled slightly as she flipped the switch. 

Light flooded the room as Beatrice stood next to Ava in the doorway. It was empty. For a split second, Ava thought she saw a dark figure in the corner, but realised it must have been a trick of the light or her mind playing tricks on her. She sighed, then laughed, at how scared she’d been only a moment before. 

“It seems like we’re getting pranked by the house.” Ava told Beatrice dryly. 

“I can only hope it develops a more sophisticated sense of humour one day.” Beatrice retorted.

“Me too.” Ava hugged Beatrice with one arm, from the side. “I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day. Thank you for cleaning me up earlier. I really appreciate it.” 

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice mumbled, her thoughts distorted by Ava’s touch. 

Ava disappeared upstairs to her bedroom, while Beatrice stood still for several minutes, gripping the doorframe. While Ava would probably be asleep in minutes, Beatrice knew she wouldn’t find slumber quite as easily, if at all. Yet Beatrice couldn’t hide her smile. The time she had spent with Ava was more than worth it. 


	5. A Seasonal Beverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice get coffee before class. As FRIENDS, ok that's what FRIENDS do. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O

Ava couldn’t help but laugh at her reflection the next morning. Her giggles filled the air as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had two black eyes and bruising across the bridge of her nose. In all honesty, it gave her a similar appearance to a raccoon. Downstairs, she could hear her sisters eating breakfast. With a maniacal grin, Ava left the bathroom, excited at the prospect of a new day. She was determined to stay in omicron and she felt oddly motivated to do her best. 

“What’s up, party people!?” Ava greeted them with her arms spread - completely ridiculous.

“Ava!” Camila yelled as Ava entered the kitchen. “Lilith told me she hit you, but…” Camila trailed off, obviously shocked at the state of Ava’s face. 

“She did.” Ava chuckled as she withdrew a bowl from the cupboard. “I deserved it though.” 

“I’m sorry.” Lilith whispered as Ava sat next to her at the table. “It was an unconscious reaction, I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” 

“It’s okay!” Ava wrapped an arm around Lilith, who scowled at the gesture, before turning back to the article she had been reading on her phone.

“You really have to stop letting Shannon get you into these situations.” Mary told Ava with a smile. “She can be a real ass sometimes, you know?” 

“Mary!” Shannon gave her a joking glare. “Anyway, Ava and I are just warming up. You’ll see.” 

“No one wants this, Shan!” Mary shot back, although she gave Shannon a quick kiss after speaking. Only Beatrice was silent during the chaos of the morning, content to watch her sisters react to one another. Ava’s face did look horrible, though, triggering Beatrice’s protectiveness just as it had the night before. 

“Who’s going out tonight?” Ava asked as they sat around the table. “It’s Friday, after all.” She snuck a look at Beatrice, but her expression was stoic. 

“I’m in.” Mary answered first. “Classes have been absolute hell this week, I need a break.”

“How hard can they be, you spend all of your time looking at rocks?” Shannon continued to mess with her.

“Coming from a communications major?” Mary retorted with a smile. “What do you do? Talk to people?”

“Actually, yeah.” Shannon laughed. “I’m definitely going. For no other reason other than to keep Mary in line.” She added with a wink. 

“I want to come too!” Camila added enthusiastically. 

“Yes! I’ll have a dancing partner!” Ava matched her excitement. Beatrice had to suppress a laugh at that, since Ava and Camila’s dancing was more akin to jumping up and down in a drunken state. 

Lilith suddenly set her phone on the table and looked up. “Beatrice, do you have something you’d like to tell us?”

“I…” Beatrice looked flustered, surprisingly so. “I won this year’s Fremantle Award.” She told everyone in a small voice. There was a split second of silence, before the room erupted with noise. 

“Awesome!” Shannon clapped her on the back. “I’m so proud of you!” 

“Yes, Bea!!” Camila jumped from her chair and hugged Beatrice, nearly causing her to drop her bowl of cereal.   
“Nice job!” Mary told her after Camila was done screaming. 

Lilith offered a more reserved, “Congratulations.” 

After everyone, namely Camila, had calmed down, Shannon turned to Ava. “You’re awfully quiet about this.”   
“I already knew.” Ava whispered, wishing she could hide in her bowl to avoid further scrutiny.

“You  _ what?! _ ” Camila looked at Beatrice, then back at Ava. “Since when are you two keeping secrets from me?” Ava felt a flash of guilt, Camila looked slightly hurt. 

“I told Ava not to tell anyone.” Beatrice stepped in before Ava could speak. “I was embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed?” Shannon couldn’t contain her disbelief. “Why? This is an amazing accomplishment!”

“I know, but…” Beatrice trailed off for the second time. She had known this would happen, yet she was uncomfortable all the same. Lucky for her, Ava noticed and jumped into the conversation with some degree of distraction. 

“This means we  _ have  _ to go out now. To celebrate!” Ava poked Lilith in the shoulder. “And maybe, if you’re good, I can wear the demon costume.”

“Ava, don’t even start with me!” Lilith stood up from the table and washed her bowl, before heading back upstairs to get ready for class. 

“Oh, maybe I should wear it out tonight…” Ava pondered. 

“Maybe, but remember, we’ve still got to scare Mary.” Shannon told her with a grin. 

“Hey! I thought I had opted out of this pranking thing.” Mary protested as she finished her breakfast. 

“That’s true, you are married to the orchestrator.” Ava reasoned. 

“Ava, Lilith broke your nose yesterday, why don’t you give the costume a rest?” Camila suggested, with a concerned look at Ava’s face. 

“That’s a fair point.” Mary conceded, always happy to make the case against pranks.

“All of you are no fun.” Shannon told them, before pushing herself away from the table. She and Mary quickly retreated to their rooms, also preparing for the day ahead. 

Camila got up and patted Beatrice on the shoulder. “Seriously, we’re all proud of you. But, you  _ have  _ to come out tonight and celebrate.” 

“I will.” Beatrice smiled gently at Camila, before the younger girl left the kitchen. Only Beatrice and Ava remained at the table. 

“Thank you.” Beatrice whispered.

“What? Why?” 

“You know why.” Beatrice met Ava’s gaze, although the look of confusion on her face made it clear that she didn’t. “For being… Distracting.” 

“Oh.” Ava felt her cheeks burn. “You just seemed uncomfortable with the sudden attention. I felt bad.” 

“I appreciate it.” Beatrice replied quietly. “Are you going to class today?” 

“I think I have to.” Ava smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. 

“Can I walk you?” Beatrice asked. Her question was a bit forward, but Ava had been walking her home from class for weeks. It was the least she could do.

“You don’t have to ask.” Ava’s smile became much more genuine. 

“Maybe we could even stop for a coffee on the way?” Beatrice suggested, hiding her shaking hands under the table. Friends, just friends, got coffee all the time though. This wasn’t weird. 

“Even…” Ava paused for dramatic effect, her eyes sparkling. “A PSL?” Beatrice shuddered at the suggestion. 

“Alright, yes.”

“Wooo!!” Ava yelled as she sprung from her chair. 

Twenty minutes later, they both walked along the sidewalk, to the coffee shop on campus. It was getting colder daily, a sharp wind bit through the air. Both Ava and Beatrice were bundled up more than they had been in the weeks past.

“I think you should consider getting a seasonal beverage.” Ava told Beatrice as they hurried along, desperate to be out of the cold. 

“I will not consider that.” Beatrice replied. A significant part of her wanted to reach down for Ava’s hand, doubly so in the cold, but she resisted the temptation.

A bell rang as they entered the small coffee shop, a quant installation on the corner of their busy campus. Beatrice watched as Ava visibly relaxed in the warmth. She really needed to wear something warmer than a hoodie. The two of them stood in line, while Ava shivered the entire time. 

“You need to get a warmer coat.” Beatrice muttered.

“This is the warmest thing I’ve got.” Ava spread out her arms, as if to model the old, blue hoodie she was so fond of. 

Beatrice regarded her carefully, but chose not to push the topic. A moment later, they stepped up to the counter. 

“Hi, what can I get for you today?” The young woman behind the register asked, incredibly perky for how early it was.

“I know it’s beyond basic, but can I please get a large pumpkin spice latte?” Ava requested with a massive grin, charming even despite her two black eyes. 

“Of course. Do you want whipped cream?” She inquired as she scrawled Ava’s order on a cup. 

“Is that even a question?” Ava giggled. “Of course.” 

“And you for you?” The woman turned to Beatrice. 

“Earl Grey tea, please.” Beatrice ordered respectfully, while she pulled out her wallet to pay. 

“I’ll have your orders out in a few minutes!” She told them as she rang the drinks up. 

As they waited, Ava tucked a fiver into Beatrice’s coat pocket, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “Ava, what are you doing?” Beatrice turned to face her.

“Umm… Nothing.” Ava’s tone gave her away immediately.

“Take your money. You have a broken nose. The least I can do is buy you your…” Beatrice hesitated, almost unable to address the abomination. “Pumpkin spice latte.” 

“I’ll have to break my nose more often, in that case.” Ava couldn’t help but joke.

“Don’t even joke. You’re lucky Lilith hit you straight on, or you’d have to go to the doctor and get it reset.” Beatrice was serious in her cadence.    
“I know.” Ava looked down. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“I… Sorry.” It wasn’t the first time Beatrice felt curiously confused by Ava’s words and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

“One PSL and one tea, ready at the counter!” One of the workers called out. Ava went to retrieve them before Beatrice could react. 

“Your boring beverage, m’lady.” Ava curtsied dramatically as she handed Beatrice the cup. 

“I have an hour before my class starts.” Beatrice could feel herself growing nervous once more, but she forced the feeling away. “Do you want to sit with me?” 

“Of course.” Ava grinned and headed for an empty table in the corner by the window. 

Once they were seated, everything suddenly felt more formal. Not unlike the atmosphere of a date. That would be ridiculous, though. This  _ wasn’t  _ a date. It was just two friends, two sisters, getting coffee before class. 

“Mmmm…” Ava took a long sip from her coffee, making a mustache of whipped cream across her upper lip. “So good.” 

“I seriously can’t believe you’re drinking that.” 

“Do you want to try it?” Ava slid the drink towards Beatrice. “Just so you can experience the majesty that is autumn’s greatest beverage?” 

Reluctantly, Beatrice raised the cup to her lips, the smell of sweet cinnamon was almost overwhelming. Ava watched with sparkling eyes as Beatrice took a sip. 

“It’s gross.” Beatrice grimaced, finally, before passing the drink back to Ava. 

“Beatrice, oh Beatrice. My sweet, summer child.” Ava began, needlessly dramatic. “You may be a genius, but today, you are a fool.” 

“Tell me how you really feel.” Beatrice replied quietly, trying to ignore how she felt when Ava said her name. 

“I just did.” Ava grinned widely. “What classes do you have today?”

“Biochemistry lecture this morning, and the lab in the afternoon.” 

“Sounds…  _ Fun. _ ” 

“I like my classes.” Beatrice answered, before returning the question. “What do you have?” 

“I have two history classes, back to back. The first one isn’t bad, since I have it with Camila and we sit together. The second one is super boring. It’s about the Civil War and the professor is completely monotone. He just drones on and on, it’s almost impossible not to fall asleep.” Ava explained.

“You have quite an odd assortment of classes.” Beatrice noted, remembering the other courses on Ava’s roster.

“My advisor told me that it would be a good way to figure out what I wanted to do, and get all of my requirements out of the way.” 

“That’s true.” 

“I don’t know if I’m any closer to a decision though.” Ava paused, collecting her thoughts. “I want to do something that will allow me to help people. I’m just not sure what that is. At least, not yet.” 

Beatrice was slightly surprised by the admission. When it came to academic matters, Ava wasn’t always forthcoming about her opinions. 

“Nearly any degree could accomplish that, depending on how you implement it.” 

“That’s the problem.” Ava dropped her eyes. Beatrice reached across the table and squeezed Ava’s hand in her own, for a moment, before withdrawing it.

“You’ll figure it out.” Beatrice told her with a smile. 


	6. Party at the Ass House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the sisters attend a party at the Alpha Sig house. Beatrice meets JC. Everything seems fine, but a threat looms in the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all of the bo3 zombies easter eggs take 4 players to complete. i dont have that many friends!!!!!!

Beatrice could feel the bass from the speakers pounding through her ribcage. She stood at the corner of the admittedly disgusting alpha sig house. Most of the Greek life students referred to it as the Ass House, since it’s initials were AΣΣ. It was a fitting name in more ways than one. At the corner of the dance floor, she could see Mary and Shannon dancing respectfully with each other. Beatrice watched them for a moment, before taking a long drink from the beer in her hand. She was happy for them, of course, but she couldn’t deny the envy that pricked at her heart. 

In the next room over, Beatrice heard the frustrated shouts of several frat boys as Lilith hustled them at nine ball. She, like Beatrice, disliked parties, but she seemed to make her own fun. Finally, Beatrice’s gaze found Ava and Camila. As anticipated, they were in the middle of the dance floor, jumping along to the beat of the music. Both of them were already drunk off of whatever jungle juice was being served at this party, entirely carefree. 

In a way, Beatrice envied them too. Their ability to genuinely relax and have fun was something she seemed to struggle with. There were always a thousand thoughts running through her head, many of which seemed to contradict each other. Sometimes, it was unbearably loud. Before Beatrice could dwell on it further, Ava caught her eye, and beckoned Beatrice to join them on the dance floor. Unable to resist Ava’s pleading looks, she began to work her way through the crowd.

“Hey!!” Camila shouted over the music as Beatrice joined them in the fray. She was wearing one of her famous (in Mary’s words, ‘famously ugly’) Hawaiian shirts. 

“Hello!” Beatrice replied back, smiling despite herself. 

“The brilliant Beatrice has decided to join us!” Ava laughed, slurring her words slightly. She gave Beatrice a quick, sweaty hug, before continuing to dance. Thankfully, Ava was too drunk to notice how the action made Beatrice’s cheeks match the red solo cups that littered the room. 

After a few songs, Beatrice excused herself. She quickly extricated herself from the crowd and headed into the backyard, where the party seemed to quiet down. A sharp wind stung her face, colder than it had been that morning. Near the door, there were several tubs full of drinks and ice, which she pulled another beer from. Perhaps it was futile, but Beatrice was hoping it would take the edge off her nerves. 

“Need a bottle opener?” A male voice asked from behind her. Beatrice turned around, to see the tall, dark-haired boy that had spoken.

“Yes, thank you.” She held out the bottle, which he quickly opened. 

“I’m JC, by the way.” He smiled, holding out his hand. Beatrice promptly shook it. “You must be Beatrice.”

“How do you know that?” 

“Don’t sound so creeped out, I’m friends with Ava. I know most of the omicron girls, it was a lucky guess.” He held his hands up in surrender, with an easy laugh. 

“Sorry.” Beatrice couldn’t help but feel awkward. She was good at nearly everything, but not this. 

“No worries.” He grinned. “Ava’s told me a lot about you.” 

“She has?” Beatrice was unquestionably curious. 

“Honestly, I think I know more about you than I know about her.” JC paused, fishing a beer for himself out of the cooler. “She’s the most honest person who seems to never volunteer any information about herself. At least, not without you asking for it specifically.” 

“That’s a really good assessment.” Beatrice mumbled, thinking about how little she knew of Ava, despite the time they’d spent together. 

“I’m a psych major, it’s sort of my job.” He sat on the step, gesturing at the spot next to him. “Do you want to sit for a moment?” 

“Sure.” She joined him, wishing she’d brought a jacket, as the cool air blew around them.

“Speaking of Ava, what happened to her face?” 

“She dressed up like a demon and hid in Lilith’s room last night.” Beatrice couldn’t help but smile a bit as she explained. “Lilith punched her, not on purpose, it was an instinctual reaction.” 

“Remind me never to cross Lilith!” JC laughed once more. Beatrice could see why Ava liked him, he was kind and easy-going. 

“Her nose is definitely broken, you’d be surprised how much blood there was.” Beatrice wasn’t sure why she was telling JC everything, but it was oddly nice to talk to someone outside of omicron for once. “I helped clean it up last night. Yet, when I asked her about it, she said it was completely worth it. Lilith’s reaction wasn’t  _ that  _ funny, so I really don’t understand.” 

“She’s an odd one.” 

“For sure.” Beatrice could feel the lapse in conversation grow uncomfortable, likely her fault. “You two have math together, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a really hard class. Or at least, I think so. I’m not really a math guy.” JC admitted, surprisingly humble. “Ava usually lets me cheat off her test.”

“She does  _ what?! _ ” 

“I know, I know. I told her that I didn’t want her to get in trouble, but she didn’t want me to fail a class that wasn’t even related to my major. She had a whole speech about how that wasn’t fair, and gen ed requirements are stupid. So, she makes me copy at least enough answers to pass.” JC explained the situation more thoroughly, leaving Beatrice confused. 

“She is ridiculous.” 

“Tell me about it!” JC finished his beer, while Beatrice sipped hers slowly. “She doesn’t do any of the homework, either. Yet, she gets a perfect score on every test! It’s beyond frustrating.” 

“Is that so?” Beatrice appreciated JC’s candor, even if it was the product of alcohol. 

“She’s really smart, although you might not think so at first.” 

“I can see why you two are dating.” Beatrice resigned herself to the reality of the situation and tried to be happy for Ava. “You’re a good man.”

“Oh, we’re not dating.” JC looked flustered. “Sure, I asked, but Ava told me she was interested in someone else and it wouldn’t be fair to me. Again, an honest answer that reveals absolutely nothing.” At that admission, Beatrice froze, her foolish heart feeling hopeful once more. 

“That’s certainly -”

“Well, well, well!” Ava appeared behind them, wrapping one arm around JC, the other around Beatrice. “If it isn’t my two favourite people!” She was overly excited, in an incredibly charismatic way. 

“Is that so?” Beatrice asked, lifting an eyebrow as she spoke. 

“Yes! My buddy boy, JC here!” Ava’s words were oddly stilted in her drunken state. “And the absolute -” 

“Ava!” Camila was drunk, but not as much as Ava. She quickly grabbed Ava by the collar and forcibly pulled her up, to interrupt whatever it was that she was about to say. Camila wasn’t an idiot, she had a good feeling what was going to happen, and she knew Ava would regret saying it to Beatrice while drunk.

“Camila!” Ava shouted, hugging her tightly. 

“I think this is my cue to leave.” JC mumbled, standing to extricate himself from the sudden crowd of sorority girls. 

“It was nice meeting you.” Beatrice responded politely, with a wave. 

“You too.” He gave her a kind smile. “Ava, Camila, stay safe tonight!” JC cautioned, before reconvening with some of his brothers. 

“See ya!” Ava called, before turning her attention back to Beatrice, who was struggling to breathe in Ava’s presence. “You met JC! Isn’t he a gem?”

“Absolutely.” Beatrice mumbled, before sculling the rest of her beer. Camila flashed her a knowing look. 

“Are either of you ready to go? It’s quite late.” Camila looked at the time on her phone as she spoke.  _ 2.53am.  _

“I’m ready!” Ava shouted, taking off at a run in the direction of the omicron house. 

“Ava! Wait!” Beatrice yelled, chasing after her. Camila only sighed, before retreating inside to retrieve Lilith, Shannon, and Mary. 

Beatrice could hear Ava’s laughter over the sound of her shoes slapping against the sidewalk. Quickening her stride, Beatrice caught her by the arm, forcing Ava to stop. 

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Beatrice asked, her voice awash in equal parts concern and amusement. 

“Home?” Ava seemed confused with the question. 

“Let’s slow down, alright?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Ava began to walk next to Beatrice, now comically slow. 

“Very funny.” Beatrice’s cheeks hurt from smiling, an amazing pain that only Ava seemed to inspire.

“How about…” Ava paused, her eyes wide with thought, her mind addled by the alcohol. “I’m going to let you set the pace, okay?” Without warning, she reached down, taking Beatrice’s hand in her own. 

“Okay.” Beatrice choked out a reply, feeling as though she’d been dipped in ice. 

They walked for a few minutes in silence, before Ava spoke once more. “Can we take the long way home? I’m not… Ready to go back just yet.”

“Of course.” Beatrice turned left, instead of continuing straight as they normally would. “May I ask why?” 

“Night is difficult, sometimes.” As usual, Ava’s answer was cryptic. For a few seconds, Beatrice debated asking for clarification, her innate curiosity at odds with her desire to be respectful. Tonight, curiosity won out. 

“Ava, what does that mean?” 

Ava didn’t answer right away, but Beatrice could tell she was deep in thought. They walked along in silence, still hand in hand, leaves crunching underfoot. 

“I get nightmares.” Ava said at last, her voice a whisper. “I know, it’s embarrassing and childish.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.” 

“You can.” Ava replied. “I’ve heard many times before.”

“It’s neither of those things, and I’m not trying to be polite in saying that.” Beatrice was adamant.

“Maybe you’re right.” Ava hung her head. “Some nights are worse than others, so I try to avoid going to sleep. Sometimes, I just slip out of the house and walk around campus. I’ve made friends with all the night shift security staff.” 

“Ava…” Beatrice almost laughed, since only Ava would befriend campus police while simultaneously avoiding her own demons. “You know you can talk to me. Or any of us about this. You don’t have to face everything alone.” JC’s words were still fresh in her mind.

“Okay…” 

They were in front of the omicron house now, and Beatrice could see her sisters walking through the side door. She knew her time alone with Ava was quickly coming to an end.

“Look at me.” Beatrice gently put her hand underneath Ava’s chin, lifting her gaze. “Next time you can’t sleep, come wake me up. We can talk about it, or talk about something else. Or, I’ll make you a cup of tea, and we don’t have to speak at all.” In that moment, Beatrice spoke to Ava as a friend, wanting to be there, regardless of her romantic feelings.

“Really?” Ava’s eyes met Beatrice’s - a suffocating tension between them.

“Of course.” Beatrice answered. They faced the house for a moment, watching the lights turn on one by one. When the living room light clicked on, both Ava and Beatrice saw a man in the window, illuminated for only a moment, before disappearing. Ava almost thought she imagined it in her intoxication, but Beatrice’s reaction made it clear that she didn’t. They both took off at a sprint, headed for the door.


	7. More Questions than Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after leaves more questions than answers. Or does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all i want for christmas is youuuuuuuuuu

“There’s a ghost in the house!” Ava shouted as she barrelled through the door. Beatrice ran behind her, although  _ ghost  _ definitely wasn’t the conclusion she had jumped to. 

“What are you talking about?” Mary appeared in the kitchen as Ava screamed through the room and into the living room where she had seen the man through the window. 

“He was in here!” Ava stood in the middle of the now-empty living room. “We saw him from outside!” 

“What’s going on in here?” Shannon joined them, Camila and Lilith close behind her. 

“Ava thinks the house is haunted.” Mary explained, as Ava frantically looked under the couch for the man.

“Beatrice?” Shannon looked to her for clarification. 

“Ava and I were outside when the light turned on. We saw… Well, it looked like the silhouette of a man in the window, but he was gone in an instant.” 

“You saw it too?” Lilith had a curious look in her eyes, as though she expected better from Beatrice. 

“I did. At least, I saw  _ something. _ For a second.” Beatrice admitted. It was late, and she was tired, but she definitely saw it.

“Is our house haunted?” Camila asked in a tiny voice.

“No. Ghosts aren’t real.” Lilith put a hand on her shoulder, an attempt to comfort Camila.

“You don’t believe in ghosts?” Ava looked up from her inspection, eyes wide with disbelief. 

“No?” Lilith stared back at Ava.

“Neither do I.” Mary added. “I’m more worried that there was  _ someone  _ in here. A real, live human being.” 

“Let’s go check the rest of the rooms.” Shannon took Mary’s hand leading her from the room. Lilith followed, just in case.   
  


“I believe you, Ava.” Camila told her quietly, before giving each of her sisters a hug and retreating to bed. 

“I saw it too, but I don’t think it was a  _ ghost. _ ” Beatrice whispered, once she was along with Ava.

“Beatrice!” Ava put a hand to her chest. “You wound me!” 

“Are you… Serious?” 

“No. But I really do think it was a ghost! How did it just disappear like that?!” Ava gesticulated wildly as she spoke. 

“Maybe it was just a trick of the light? A weird reflection?” Beatrice made suggestions, although Ava didn’t seem to believe any of them. 

“I’m not convinced. I’m going to investigate this properly.” Ava left the room without another word, leaving Beatrice confused more than anything. 

Every weekend morning, without fail, Camila cooked a massive breakfast for everyone. This Saturday was no exception, as the smell of pancakes and bacon quickly filled the entire house. Lilith orbited around her, helping as best she could. 

“I like when you join me in the mornings.” Camila whispered as she poured batter into the pan with a sizzle. 

“I like you in the mornings, even if you are cranky and hungover.” Lilith retorted with a rare smile. 

“I’m not cranky!” Camila defended herself. 

“You got mad at me for getting out of bed too loudly.” 

“Okay… That’s fair.” Camila conceded, giving Lilith a quick kiss on the cheek before continuing to cook. 

“Thank you.” Lilith’s face was slightly flushed. “Do you really think it was a ghost?”

“I mean…” Camila hesitated, spatula in hand. “I don’t know. I didn’t see it. But I do  _ believe  _ in ghosts.”

“What else do you believe in?” Lilith leaned against the counter, watching Camila with a bemused smile. 

“Aliens, obviously.” Camila grinned. 

“Really?”

“Yes! It’d be naïve to think that we are alone in the universe. But, I don’t necessarily think they are little green men, either.” Camila explained. 

“You are an interesting woman.” Lilith replied, looking at Camila with a new light in her eyes. 

“Why thank you!” Mary interrupted, entering the kitchen. 

“Mary, you’ve obviously ruined the moment, here.” Shannon chastised her with a smile, as they both sat down at the table. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Mary gave them a wave. “It just smelled so good, I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s okay, Mary. Lilith was just making fun of me for believing in ghosts.” 

“We’re not still going on about that, are we? Mary and I checked the entire house last night. We didn’t find anything, spiritual or otherwise.” Shannon looked slightly exasperated, yet still lighthearted. 

“Good morning, everyone.” Beatrice joined them at the table.

“Beatrice, weigh in here. Do you believe in ghosts? I need a rational person’s opinion.” Mary couldn’t help but continue the discussion.

“No.” Beatrice’s answer was concise, but honest.

“I wish Ava was awake. She’d back me up.” Camila sighed as she flipped the pancakes on the griddle. 

As if summoned, there was a sudden sound of a door opening upstairs. Gentle footsteps padded across the hallway and down the stairs. Ava eventually made her way to the kitchen, looking as though she’d been hit by a truck. Her hair was a mess, her eyes and nose were still bruised, and she shuffled along like an eighty year old man. With a groan, she opened the fridge and retrieved a bottle of gatorade, before sitting down at the table. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” Shannon greeted her with a mischievous grin. Ava mumbled a reply, before resting her head on the table. 

“Breakfast is served.” Camila announced a few minutes later, setting a heaping plate of pancakes on the table. Lilith followed behind her with a platter of bacon. 

“You’re my favourite new recruit.” Mary told her with a smile.

“Hey!” Ava suddenly raised her head. 

“Sorry, Ava. You never make me breakfast.” 

“Well, that’s true.”

Ava watched everyone eat, while drinking her gatorade. After last night, she wasn’t sure if she could stomach any food at the moment. Beatrice watched her, with silent concern, as she methodically worked through her own breakfast. 

“What is everyone doing today?” Shannon asked as they ate. 

“Studying for midterms.” Lilith was the first to answer, for once. 

“With me!” Camila added with a laugh. “I can’t believe it’s already midterm season.” 

“You and me both, kid.” Mary chuckled.

“I don’t know what you could possibly be stressed for.” Shannon looked at Mary with a glint in her eye. “Geology majors don’t even have written exams, you just have to identify different rock samples.”

“If it’s  _ so  _ easy, why don’t you take the practical exam for me!” Mary bit back in jest. 

“I hate it when our parents fight.” Ava whispered to Camila, who giggled at the joke. 

“Is anyone else doing something cool today?” Shannon asked once Mary was done teasing her. 

“I’ll probably study as well.” Beatrice answered.

“Ava, how about you?” Shannon nodded at Beatrice before turning to Ava. 

“Umm…” Ava didn’t meet Shannon’s eyes. “I don’t know yet.”

“Don’t forget the conversation we had, alright?” 

Ava didn’t speak for the rest of breakfast, even though Shannon hadn’t meant to upset her. She genuinely wanted Ava to stay in omicron, but Ava loathed the reminder. As soon as it was acceptable, she slipped from the kitchen and flew back upstairs into her room. Beatrice couldn’t help but follow, her concern more than obvious. 

As gently as possible, Beatrice knocked on Ava’s door. “Come in.” Ava mumbled from within. Beatrice opened the door and crossed into the messy bedroom.

“Are you okay?” Beatrice wished she had something better to say, to offer, but she sometimes had trouble thinking in Ava’s presence. 

“I…” Ava trailed off, staring at Beatrice quite intently. It was as if she was debating whether or not to answer the question. “I am scared.”

“Of?” Beatrice prompted, having an inkling that it wasn’t because of the ‘ghost.’

“I’m scared I won’t be able to get my grades up in time - or at all. Then, I’ll get kicked out and have no friends.” Ava’s words tumbled out with surprising speed.

“Even if you  _ did  _ get kicked out, which I know you won’t, we’d still all be friends with you.” 

“Really?” Ava sat at her desk chair, stunning by Beatrice’s reassurance. 

“Of course. But it won’t be an issue, because you aren’t going to get kicked out.” Beatrice was adamant about that. 

“How do you know?” 

“Because I know you’re incredibly smart. And determined. And caring.” Beatrice exhaled, taking a seat on the corner of Ava’s unmade bed. 

“So?” 

“So, I know that you’ll take care of everything that needs to be done.”

“Okay…” Ava rested her head against the back of the chair for a moment, taking several deep breaths. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice had a million questions she wanted to ask, a burning curiosity about the woman that sat before her. 

“Did you have fun last night?” Unlike Beatrice, Ava had less reservations about asking the questions on her mind. 

“More fun than I expected to have, certainly.” Beatrice neglected to mention which parts of the night stood out to her. “And, I finally met your friend JC.”

“Oh yeah!” Ava grinned. “I remember seeing you two talking! Isn’t he a great guy?” 

“He’s really nice.” Beatrice paused, then continued, feeling emboldened this morning. “I thought you two were dating…” 

“You did?” Ava’s expression quickly became unreadable; masked. “Why?”

“I’m not sure… I just thought… Nevermind.” Beatrice stood to leave, mentioning that had obviously been a mistake. 

“Beatrice, wait.” Ava’s voice was small. At Ava’s command, she stopped, hand hovering over the doorknob. “I’m not dating JC. I will  _ never  _ date JC.” 

“Why?” Beatrice whispered, her skin on fire as the tension in the room became unbearable. 

“I don’t…” Ava stuttered, then began again. “I don’t like… Men.” At the admission, Beatrice was sure that she would combust, or melt through the floor. 

A simple “Oh,” Was all she managed to choke out. 

“Camila is the only one who I’ve told so far. Well, Camila and…” Ava mumbled, another incomplete sentence. 

“Who else?” Beatrice still hadn’t turned back around, terrified that her face would betray her emotions. 

“My math professor.” Ava breathed, more embarrassed than anything else. 

“Every conversation I have with you leaves me with more questions than answers.” Beatrice replied as she turned around to face Ava once more.

“I’m an open book.” Ava finally broke, smiling once more. “If you have the right questions, that is.” 


	8. Game Recognise Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Ava have a chat, while Camila meets a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so fookin tired

Later, Beatrice and Ava found themselves tucked away in a quiet corner of the library. Beatrice worked through her chemistry homework mechanically, although Ava’s words were still echoing in her head. What were the right questions? Meanwhile, Ava had several papers spread across the thick, wooden table. She referred to each of them periodically, scrawling inky notes in her tattered notebook. Beatrice watched the chaos, beyond curious about the inner workings of Ava’s mind. 

“I’m going to run and grab a coffee.” Ava announced in a whisper, after a few hours of silent work. “If I don’t get any caffeine, I may very well die.” 

“Okay.” Beatrice didn’t look up from the problem she was doing, a desperate attempt at distraction. “I’ll be here.” 

“Don’t look at my notes, okay?” Ava smiled. “They’re top secret!” Before Beatrice could question the warning, Ava had disappeared.

At the coffee shop, Ava ordered a red eye. It was one of those university specials, an unhealthy combination of too much sugar and too much caffeine. For a hungover and exhausted Ava, this sounded perfect. She also wanted to bring something back for Beatrice, as a thank you for dealing with her. 

“Is that all for today?” The woman working at the shop asked, after Ava had ordered her drink.

“Could I get a tea as well?” Ava requested.

“What kind?” 

“Umm…” Ava looked up at the menu, there must have been twenty types. “I didn’t realise you had such a varie-tea.” She couldn’t resist the pun, which was accompanied by a goofy grin. 

“That’s good!” The cashier wrote down Ava’s pun, intending to use it on one of the daily chalkboard messages that hung in the window. 

“Thank you! And uh… Earl Grey, I suppose.” Ava went with the safe choice, having seen Beatrice order the same thing the day prior. 

“Coming right up.” 

With two hot drinks in hand, Ava carefully walked back across campus and ducked into the library. Her cheeks were red from the cold, the unmistakable bite of autumn in the air. Ava  _ loved  _ the season, between Halloween and the changing leaves, there was so much to appreciate. Even if her only jacket was just a hoodie, Ava couldn’t help but enjoy it. 

“For you, m’lady.” Ava bowed as she presented Beatrice with her tea. She looked up at Ava in surprise, as though Ava had just gifted her the key to the city.

“Thank you.” She breathed, gratefully inhaling the steam from the cup.

“You’re welcome!” Ava laughed as she sat back down, still shivering slightly from the cold. 

“Do you want to talk while we drink these?” Beatrice offered, just as Ava was about to resume her work. “I could use a few minutes to  _ not  _ think about chemical reactions.” 

Ava pulled her files into a messy stack and closed her notebook. “Of course. I’d choose talking to you and drinking coffee over homework any day of the week.”

“Did you get another one of those horrid pumpkin spice drinks?” 

“Actually no.” Ava couldn’t help but smile at Beatrice’s description of her beloved fall beverage. “I got the red eye.” 

“What is that?” 

“It’s on the  _ secret menu. _ ” Ava made a bizarre hand gesture to emphasise the importance of the secret menu. 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Beatrice persisted, a small smile on her face. 

“It’s…” Ava paused to take a sip of the concoction. “It’s a vanilla latte, but double the vanilla mix, with three shots of espresso poured over top.”

“That can’t be good for you.” Beatrice watched as Ava gave every impression of enjoying her drink.

“It’s not supposed to be good for you. It’s meant to help hungover college students get their homework done on time and cram for exams. Which is my exact use case.” Ava explained, finding Beatrice’s logical assessment of the situation both endearing and funny.

“I guess that’s true…”

“Plus, it makes my skin feel all tingly.” Ava added maniacally. 

“That’s  _ definitely  _ bad for you.” Beatrice took a deep breath, all too aware that she was skirting around everything she wanted to be talking about with Ava. 

It was almost as if Ava could sense Beatrice’s hesitance. “There’s something you’re not saying.” Ava whispered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“I can’t stop thinking about what you said earlier.” Beatrice found herself admitting before she had time to think about her words. “About being an open book, that is.” She added quickly. 

“Yes?” 

“You’re a confusing woman.” 

“I get that a lot.” Ava smiled as she replied, the bruising across her face still dark and painful. 

“Did you come out to Camila before or after your math professor?” Beatrice wondered, unable to keep quiet about it any longer. 

“Before.” Ava told her with a sheepish grin.

“Why?” 

“It’s not that interesting of a story. She told me to stop flirting with JC in class because I needed to apply myself. I told her I wasn’t flirting with him, but she insisted I must be. So, I told her that it wasn’t a possibility at all… Because… Well, you know.” Ava rushed her explanation, a bit nervous about having this conversation with Beatrice. 

“JC is a good person.” Beatrice mumbled, clearly skirting around the talk of sexuality.

“He is! Which is a relief, because we both know that not all frat boys are!” Ava answered, simultaneously grateful and disappointed that Beatrice changed the subject. 

“He has some interesting insights, as well.” She added, remembering their conversation the night before.

“Oh, don’t even get me started. He is always psychology-ing me.” Ava pretended to pout. “Always, Ava, you should stop joking around to cover your emotions. Or, Ava, your inability to decide on a major might be emblematic of a bigger issue.” 

“He isn’t trying to be a jerk, though. Is it so inconceivable that he cares and wants the best for you? Just like we all do?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just… Not something I’m used to.” Ava muttered, looking down at the table. 

“Ava…” Beatrice began, causing Ava’s heart to hammer in her chest, for a reason unrelated to the caffeine. “Why is that?”

“I spent most of my childhood in an orphanage. It wasn’t a caring place.” Ava replied simply, without a trace of her normal levity.

“I’m sorry.” Beatrice breathed, feeling guilty for her curiosity.

“Don’t apologise. You might have two living parents, but I know that your childhood was far from easy.” 

“How do you know that?” Beatrice was understandably shocked, she’d never told Ava, or anyone, the details of her upbringing.   
Ava shrugged. “Game recognise game.” 

“What does that mean?!” 

“It’s like… Nevermind. Point is, I can just  _ tell.  _ I don’t know how to explain it more than that.” Ava ran a hand through her hair, a clear tell of her nervousness around Beatrice. “Everyone gives me shit for not being forthcoming, but you don’t reveal a lot, either.” 

“That’s fair.” Beatrice nodded in agreement.

“So, my darling Beatrice…” Ava leaned forward, her face mischievously serious. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I… What?” Beatrice was, for seemingly the thousandth time, caught off guard by Ava. 

“We’ll start simple. What’s your favourite class?” 

“Organic chemistry.” 

“Ew.” Ava laughed heartily, the sound oddly relaxing to Beatrice. “Why?”

“No one’s ever asked me that before.” 

“I’m asking.” Ava watched her consider the question.

“It sounds vain, perhaps, but I’m good at it. I think the problems are interesting and there are a ton of real world applications to consider.” Beatrice explained, her passion for the subject evident in her words. 

“I understand the sentiment, if not the subject.” 

“I hope you feel the same with whatever major you decide on.” Beatrice told her, still concerned that Ava would miss the deadline in her indecision.

“Oh, I’ve decided.” Ava replied with a smile.

That night, Camila went to bed early, trying to sleep off the lasting effects of the night before. Her room was cold, as was the entire house, since it was old and poorly insulated. A huge pile of pillows and blankets occupied her bed, alongside several stuffed animals. It was into this mess that Camila gratefully snuggled.

Long after she found sleep, she was woken up as the foot of the bed seemed to move. “Lilith?” She mumbled, only half awake, thinking that her girlfriend had come to join her. As she opened her eyes, however, the figure at the end of her bed was decidedly  _ not  _ Lilith. In the dark, she tried fervently to focus, to discern who it was standing over her. 

Even as she squinted, the details of the figure refused to come into focus. It was as though she needed glasses, but only when looking at the silhouette before her. Only then did she feel fear, a scream escaping her lips as she pushed herself away from the slowly advancing figure as it climbed onto her bed. A blurry hand reached out, gently grasping a single curl from Camila’s head. With a disjointed smile, it vanished, leaving Camila alone. Or so she thought.


	9. Blurry Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is had, conversations are shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> isabelle, if you're reading this, change your fucking profile picture. im sick of looking at mitchell musso every time we talk!!!!!!

In a panicked run, Camila rushed through Lilith’s door, diving under the blankets. “There’s a ghost in my room!” She whispered as Lilith woke up, confused more than anything.

“What?” Lilith asked groggily.

“There was a ghost in my room!” Camila repeated as she pulled herself into Lilith’s chest. 

“I… What do you want me to do?” Lilith wondered as she wrapped an arm around Camila. 

“Protect me from the blurry man.” 

“Okay?” 

They awoke the next morning, tangled together, as the hazy sunlight brightened the room. Lilith couldn’t help but smile, Camila looked absolutely adorable. Her curls were splashed across the bed and her cheeks were slightly flushed. As gently as possible, Lilith kissed her collarbone, thankful for Camila’s warmth on this cold morning. 

“Good morning.” Camila breathed, still half asleep.

“Good morning.” Lilith replied. “What was it you wanted me to protect you from last night?” 

“The blurry man!” Camila’s eyes snapped open as she remembered the night before. 

“I’m going to need more of an explanation than that.” 

“He was standing over my bed, just a silhouette. But it wasn’t a shadow, I woke up because I could feel his weight as he climbed onto the bed.” Camila explained.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?” Lilith wasn’t intending to be patronising; it was a legitimate question. 

“It wasn’t!” Camila defended herself. “I stared and stared at it, but it never came into focus. It was as though I needed glasses, but only when I looked at him.” 

“Maybe it was Shannon or Ava?” Lilith suggested.

“I don’t think so…” Camila paused to consider it. “It was too realistic, it wasn’t a costume.”

“So… You think our house is haunted?” 

“Don’t you?” Camila sat up in bed. “It was probably the same thing that Ava and Beatrice saw the other night in the window.” 

“I don’t believe in ghosts. I’m not saying that  _ nothing  _ is happening, I just don’t think it’s a ghost.” Lilith told her quietly.

“Can I stay in your room until we figure it out either way?” 

“Of course.” 

As was tradition, Camila found her way downstairs a few minutes later and began cooking breakfast for everyone. Lilith helped, as she had been for the past few weeks.

“Good morning!” Shannon greeted them as she entered the room, followed closely by Mary. 

“Mornin’,” Mary echoed as she took a seat at the table. 

“Good morning!” Camila said cheerfully, deciding to wait until Ava came down to mention the blurry man. 

Shannon snuck in around Camila, putting on a pot of coffee, as well as a kettle. Beatrice and Lilith both preferred tea in the morning. Soon, there was a round of warm drinks between the four of them, steaming in mismatched mugs. 

“Bless you, Shannon.” Beatrice whispered as she breezed through the doorway and retrieved a fifth mug. She sat down, careful to leave an empty seat for Ava. 

“You’re welcome.” Shannon smiled at her. 

A delicious sizzle filled the room as Camila poured batter into the waffle iron. Beside her, Lilith carefully turned thick slices of Canadian bacon, browning them nicely. Beatrice smiled as she heard a door close upstairs, knowing that Ava would be down soon. 

“ _ WAFFLES?! _ ” Ava screamed from the stairway.

“Waffles.” Camila confirmed as Ava slid into the kitchen.

“Camila, I love you!” Ava cheered as she sat down. Beatrice blushed, even though the sentiment wasn’t directed towards her.

“Me too.” Mary agreed.

“Me three.” Lilith whispered. Camila looked up and kissed her.

“Hey! No PDA in front of the waffles!” Ava protested. In the back of her mind, though, she wondered what it’d be like to kiss Beatrice like that. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Camila apologised jokingly after they broke apart. 

A few minutes later, Camila set several plates on the table, each piled with waffles and Canadian bacon. Ava quickly snagged a blueberry one, chucking it onto her own plate before filling each square with syrup. 

“Ava, I need to tell you something.” Camila began as everyone ate. 

“Shoot.” Ava responded between bites. Beatrice looked between them, curiously. 

“I saw the man last night.” 

Ava froze, her cheeks stuffed with waffle. After a few seconds pause, she swallowed, her eyes wide. 

“You did?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, that settles it! Our house is haunted!” Ava exclaimed, nearly knocking over her coffee as she did. 

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Mary mumbled, putting a hand over her face. 

“Why is this the first conclusion you both jump to?” Beatrice asked. 

“It’s the only logical conclusion.” Ava answered, then turned towards Camila. “Alright. After breakfast, can you drive us to Target? We need supplies.” 

“Of course.” Camila was still scared, but grateful that someone believed her. 

Following breakfast, Ava found herself sitting in Camila’s car as they headed for the store. “So, what happened?” Ava wondered, scared and curious - even if no one else was. 

“I…” Camila sighed, her hands tightening on the wheel as she drove. “I woke up because it felt like someone was climbing into my bed. Obviously, I thought it was Lilith, but when I opened my eyes… It wasn’t.” She shivered slightly at the memory. 

“What did it look like?” 

“Like a man, at first. It was dark, but I couldn’t focus on him. He was blurry, even if the rest of the room wasn’t. And it was  _ so  _ cold.” 

“That’s scary…” Ava whispered.

“Then, he climbed across the bed. It grabbed a piece of my hair… He did a weird sort of smile, then disappeared!” Camila concluded.

“Did it make any noises?” 

“No.” Camila answered as she pulled into the parking lot. 

“And he, or it, never came into focus?” Ava asked.

“No. It was terrifying.” Camila clarified. “Lilith thought I dreamt it, but I’m positive I didn’t.” 

“I believe you.” Ava told her as they walked towards the store. 

“What are we getting?” Camila wondered as Ava wandered through the aisles. 

“You’ll see.” Ava smiled. 

“Can I ask you an unrelated question while we’re here? It’s been a few days since we’ve caught up.” 

“Sure.” Ava replied as she looked around. 

“Have you told anyone else that you’re…  _ Not straight? _ ” Camila inquired, watching Ava’s face for a reaction. 

“Other than you and my math professor?” Ava laughed. “I told Beatrice.” She admitted after a minute. 

“You did?” Camila asked, wishing she could go back in time and watch their conversation. 

“Yes.” Ava turned to face her friend. “Why are you saying it like that?” 

“I… No reason.” Camila knew she was talking too quickly. “I was just curious.” 

“Okay…” Ava trailed off, after giving Camila a discerning once over. “Oh! This is what we need!” She pulled a box from the shelf. A Ouija board. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Camila. This is serious business. We have a ghost. We’re going to need some way to communicate with it, and I have a feeling it won’t read our texts.”

“Fair point.” Camila conceded, following Ava down the aisle. “While we’re here, you should get a proper jacket.” 

“I like this one, thanks.” 

“You’re impossible.”

“I try.” Ava grinned as they headed towards the check out area. 

Back in the car, Ava was silent for a few minutes. Eventually, she spoke. She needed Camila’s advice.

“Speaking of Beatrice…” Ava began, feeling her pulse quicken. 

“Yes?” Camila worked hard to hide her smile. 

“If I wanted to, hypothetically of course, ask her out on a date… Do you think she would say yes?” Ava stuttered through her sentences. 

“I can’t say for sure.” Camila tried to remain impartial. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh. I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.” Ava stopped to consider the possibilities. “We could go apple picking. Or to a corn maze. Or  _ both! _ If I brought you back apples, would you consider making pie?” 

“Or, I could give you my recipe. You and Beatrice could make one together.” Camila suggested. Ava stared at her for several seconds before speaking. 

“There’s something you’re not telling me.” 

“Yes.” Camila gave Ava a devilish grin. “But we have more important issues to focus on right now. Namely, the  _ ghost  _ in our house!”

“I’m not forgetting about this.” Ava sank low in her seat, crossing her arms in frustration. “We could just keep the ghost. It’s seasonal.” 

“Absolutely not! Last night was terrifying!” 

“Fine, fine.” Ava chuckled. “We really do need to talk about Halloween costumes, though. We can’t be the only sorority to not be matching during the Halloween Bash.”

“I don’t want to do a sexy costume, just for the sake of being sexy, though.” Camila responded. 

“I agree.” Ava shared the sentiment. “We need something cool. Something  _ fun. _ ” 

“We have our weekly meeting tonight, I’m sure we’ll talk about it then.” 

“And maybe the blurry man will make an appearance! That’ll show them!” 

They entered the house a few minutes later, giggling about something. Mary greeted them in the kitchen as they came in.

“What did you two get to fight our ‘ghost?’” She asked, not hiding her disbelief in its existence. 

“This!” Ava pulled the board from her bag. 

“No. This is a bad idea.” Mary’s demeanour changed in an instant. “Absolutely not.” 

“I thought that the ghost wasn’t real!” Camila challenged, confused by Mary’s disapproval. 

“It isn’t! But Ouija boards aren’t something to fuck around with!” 

“We’re not  _ fucking around,  _ this is a serious operation.” Ava told her, with a surprising straight face for someone defending a plan that involved talking to ghosts. 

“Be careful.” Mary cautioned, before leaving the room. It was obvious that Camila and Ava weren’t going to listen.


	10. From Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Camila contact their lovely spirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still mad at jennifer from my 1st grade class.

As soon as it got dark, Ava and Camila set up the Ouija board on the coffee table in the living room. Camila buzzed around the room, lighting several candles, while Ava read the ‘instruction’ manual. 

“It says here that we should use it at night, in a darkened room.” Ava announced as she read over the lines.

“What else? We’ve got that part covered.” Camila wondered as she lit another candle. 

“Don’t believe anything the board tells you. That’s the only other note.” 

“So our ghost might lie to us?” Camila asked as she sat across from Ava.

“Who says it’s only  _ one _ ?” Ava countered. “We could have several different spirits in our house.”

“ _ God,  _ Ava. Why do you need to say things like that?”

“I’m just trying to keep an open mind.” She paused, timidly setting the pointer onto the board. “Are you ready?” 

“No, but I never will be. Let’s do it.” Camila had fear in her eyes already. 

Ava and Camila each rested a gentle finger on the pointer. They exchanged a quick glance, before Ava spoke. 

“Hello?” Ava whispered. Nothing happened. She spoke again, quieter this time. “Is anyone there?” 

“Ava, I -” Camila began, interrupted by the sudden, rapid movement of the pointer. 

It darted quickly over to the corner, hovering over the text that read:  _ Hello. _ Ava and Camila looked at it, then up at each other, their eyes wide. 

“Who are you?” Ava breathed. With sudden, angry movements, the pointer flew to the letter  _ F,  _ then the letter  _ V. _

“FV.” Camila mumbled. “Do we know anyone with those initials?” 

“Not that I can think of…” She paused, racking her brain for another question. “Did you die here?”

Instantly, the pointer sped towards  _ Yes. _ Startled, both Ava and Camila took their hands off of it.

“Maybe I shouldn’t get my grades up after all…” Ava muttered, trying to joke to cover up her fear. 

“Were you killed?” Camila inquired, ignoring Ava entirely. Entirely on its own, the pointer slowly circled the board, then landed on  _ Yes  _ once more. 

“Were you murdered?” She asked, both terrified and curious. Again, it settled on  _ Yes,  _ the eerie sound of the pointer dragging filled the room. 

“By who?” Ava found her voice, just as Beatrice snuck into the corner of the room. The now-three of them watched the pointer slide around, stopping on the letter  _ D.  _

“Please tell me this isn’t some elaborate prank.” Beatrice mumbled, as she crept closer to the board. She was desperately searching for a string, magnet, anything that would explain what she was seeing. 

“It’s not.” Ava looked up at her, then turned back to the board. “Who is  _ D _ ?” She asked. The pointer shook, before scraping around the board. Ava felt her skin tingle, as if there was something behind her. Something inside her, something primal, told her not to look. She decided to listen to her instincts, instead watching the board as the hair on her arms stood on end.  _ D - E -  _

“What’s going on in here?” Mary shouted, turning the lights on. As she did so, the pointer flew across the room and the candles simultaneously went out. Beatrice, Camila, and Ava all stared at one another, in nervous disbelief. “Beatrice, seriously?!” Mary continued as she walked into the room and saw the Ouija board on the table. “I’d expect this sort of nonsense from Ava and Camila - but you?” 

“She only came in at the last second.” Ava felt compelled to defend Beatrice. “It was my idea.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yes.” Ava nodded, careful not to catch Beatrice’s gaze. 

“These are more dangerous than you realise and they definitely aren’t toys. Get rid of it.” Mary ordered, before leaving the room. 

“We should do as she says.” Camila whispered. Understandably, since she was more scared in the house now than she had been before. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” Before anyone else spoke, Camila quickly packed the board back into its box and shoved it deep into the hallway closet. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? 

“What was that?” Beatrice asked once the two of them were alone. Candle smoke still hung in the air and Ava felt as though she was being watched. 

“I don’t know.” 

“It really wasn’t a prank?” Beatrice watched Ava carefully, waiting for a sign of deception. There weren’t any. 

“Really.” Ava leaned back against the couch and took a deep breath. “I promised I’d never prank you, remember.” 

“I do.” 

“I don’t know what that was. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Ava mumbled.

“Me either.” Beatrice crept closer to Ava, sitting down next to her. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes. Just scared. I can’t believe we have a ghost in the house.” 

“You really think it’s a ghost?” 

“Come on!” Ava’s voice rose in pitch. “How can you not? After seeing  _ that! _ ” 

“I still don’t believe in…  _ Ghosts. _ ” Beatrice nearly choked on the word. “There has to be a scientific explanation.”

“Does there?” Ava raised an eyebrow. “There are things in this world that defy explanation.” 

“No there aren’t. They just haven’t been explained  _ yet. _ ” Beatrice countered.

“Ugh!” Ava threw her arms in the air. “Science majors!” 

“Hey!” 

“And somehow I’m the confusing one.” Ava stood up. “I’m going to go apologise to Camila, for dragging her into this.”

“That’s a good idea.” Beatrice rose as well.

“Can we… Talk later?” Ava whispered, remembering her conversation with Camila at the store. 

“Sure, you know where I live.” Beatrice smiled slightly, before retreating from the room. 

Ava stayed for a minute or two, trapped between emotions. Her cheeks were flushed, her heart pounding from Beatrice’s smile. Conversely, she still felt like she wasn’t alone. Ava avoided looking out the dark windows of the house, terrified that she’d see something looking back at her. She desperately tried to ignore the feeling as she headed upstairs, stopping in front of Camila’s door. After a knock, Camila called her in. 

“I’m sorry.” Ava began, closing the door behind her.

“Why?” 

“That was… Scary. I thought it would help, but it obviously didn’t.” 

“Ava, I’m an adult.” Camila spoke with a smile, clearly not angry. “I choose what to get into. Yes, that was terrifying. But it isn’t your fault.”

“Oh…” Ava still felt a bit guilty. 

“Plus, you’re the only person who believed me. After what we just saw, I’m one hundred percent convinced this house is haunted.” Camila explained. 

“Me too.” Ava finally returned Camila’s smile. 

“I’m less clear on how to get rid of the ghost, though.” 

“Who says we should get rid of it?” Ava’s grin widened. “It’s spooky season anyhow. We should keep it around until November.” 

“Absolutely not.” Camila wouldn’t even entertain the idea, for obvious reasons. “We should call -”

“Ghostbusters!” Ava interrupted.

“No.” Camila stared at her for a moment, before continuing. “I was going to say, a nun or a priest or something.” 

“How does that work exactly? Do you just call your local church and say ‘Hi, my house is haunted?’” 

“I mean… I guess.” Camila shrugged. “We could all be nuns for Halloween.” 

“Ha! That’s great!” Ava laughed. “Can you imagine, all of us nuns?”

“If we all went as couples, it’d be doubly funny.” At the suggestion, Ava felt her ears burn. 

“As couples?” She echoed, thinking of Beatrice. 

“Yes, Ava.” Camila chuckled. “Have you talked to her yet?” She lowered her voice. “About a  _ date _ ?” 

“No…” Ava admitted, sheepishly. “We only talked about it this morning!” 

“That’s plenty of time! You’re just nervous.” Camila teased, enjoying herself. It was a welcome distraction from the horrifying events downstairs. 

“Obviously! I don’t even know if she likes… Girls, let alone  _ me. _ ” Ava tried to reason with Camila. 

“I have a feeling she’ll say yes, if you can drum up the courage to ask.” Camila tried to stay neutral, unwilling to divulge secrets that weren’t hers to share. 

“Fine, fine.” Ava turned to leave the room. 

“Good luck!” Camila called to her.

While Camila and Ava spoke, Beatrice knelt on the floor beside her bed. It’d been many years since she’d prayed, but if any day called for it, surely it was today. 

“St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do you, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.” 

Following her prayer, she rose, and began searching through her desk. Among her belongings, Beatrice found her old crucifix, a relic from the past. With gentle hands she clasped it behind her neck. Memories of her youth came flying back, but she shut her eyes, desperate to repress them. This gesture wasn’t based in religion, but rather, a desire to protect herself against whatever she had seen downstairs. 

A knock on the door interrupted her tangled thoughts. “Come in.” Beatrice said, regaining her composure in a moment. 

“Hi.” Ava whispered as she entered Beatrice’s bedroom. 

“Hello.” Beatrice watched her carefully. Ava seemed nervous. 

“I was just… Since when are you religious?” Ava suddenly asked, immediately noticing the crucifix.

“I’m not… Anymore.” Granted, the answer was more complicated than that, but Beatrice neglected to explain it further. 

“Oh?” Ava raised an eyebrow, but she seemed to understand that Beatrice wouldn’t want to talk about it. She could be oddly intuitive. “I just came to ask you a question.”

“Which is?” Beatrice was curious but she tried not to get her hopes up. 

“I was just…” Ava knotted her hands together as she looked at the floor. “Wondering… If maybe… Y-you’d consider going to Wickham Farms with me on Tuesday?”

“Ava…” Beatrice began, needing clarification to confirm her suspicions. “Are you asking me on a date?” While Beatrice kept her words steadier than Ava had been able to, her heart was hammering in her chest. 

“If that’s… Alright…” Ava still wouldn’t look up.

“I’d like that.” Beatrice answered with a smile. 

“Really?!” Ava met her eyes, grinning. “Yes! Okay! Great! Okay, bye!” She ran from the room before Beatrice could reply. 


	11. She Tasted Like Cinnamon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Ava go on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no plot to be found here (this was supposed to be a ONESHOT)

Beatrice pulled her car into the dirt lot of the farm. There was a huge barn in the middle of the field. Behind it, there was a massive orchard, as well as a corn maze. 

“Wow. It’s very… Autumnal.” Beatrice whispered, unsure if her words were complimentary or insulting. 

“I know! It’s great!” Ava grinned, bounding out of the car. “Thanks for driving, by the way.” She added, quietly. 

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice replied, following Ava towards the building, without any idea of what to expect. 

Nervously, Ava slid her fingers between Beatrice’s, leading her into the barn. The first thing they both noticed was the  _ smell.  _ It was warm and cinnamony, Ava quickly realised the owners were frying donuts behind the counter. There were large crates around the corners of the room, each of which was piled with apples. People were milling about and children ducked through the crowd, many of them clad in Halloween costumes.

“Man!” Ava put a hand to her forehead. “We should have worn costumes!” 

“I thought you were dressed up?” Beatrice asked innocently, looking at Ava’s outfit. She assumed Ava had dressed up as a lumberjack, with her flannel and jean ensemble. 

“What?” Ava paused, confused, before laughing heartily. “I don’t know, I thought it was… Farmhouse chic.” 

“That’s not a thing.” Beatrice muttered as they headed towards the counter. 

At the counter, Ava ordered each of them a donut and a warm cup of cider. Beatrice stood silently by her side, watching the charming smile on her face as she spoke with the worker. She was surprised that Ava wasn’t as nervous as she was - at least, Ava wasn’t showing it. 

“You two are an adorable couple.” The woman at the counter told them as she passed Ava the donuts.

“Thank you!” Ava beamed, handing one of them to Beatrice, who felt her face turn red. 

“Have a great time, you two!” She added, as Ava and Beatrice headed for the back door.

“Couple?” Beatrice mumbled as the cold autumn air hit them once more. 

“I didn’t want to be rude and correct her.” Ava smiled slightly before biting into her donut. Both of them simultaneously wondered if there was anything to correct. “Mhm! So good!” She groaned, powdered sugar covering the lower half of her face. 

“Is it?” In a much more refined fashion, Beatrice bit into her donut as well. Ava was right, it was delicious. Even better, it was still warm, fantastic in the brisk air. “Oh, you were right. It is.” 

“You’ve got sugar on your nose.” Ava whispered, as they walked along the treeline. 

“Ava… You’ve got probably half a pound of sugar on your face.” Beatrice retorted, unable to contain her smile. Without a hint of decorum, Ava lifted an arm and rubbed the sugar off on the sleeve of her flannel.

“All better!” She laughed, her face clean one more. Beatrice watched this display silently. She knew her parents would have scorned anyone who behaved as crassly as Ava. Yet, Beatrice couldn’t help but find it endearing. 

“What is this?” Beatrice asked quietly, gesturing to the spiced cider Ava had gotten for her. 

“It’s cider and it’s delicious. Have you never had it?” 

“No…” Timidly, she brought the warm cup to her lips and tasted the drink. It was almost overwhelmingly sweet, a hundred different spices melding together.

“What do you think?” Ava wondered eagerly, her eyes wide.

“It’s… Good.” Beatrice admitted, unsure if she was lying or not. 

“Glad to hear it!” Ava grinned, while drinking her own cider. “I asked Camila to bake a pie with the apples we bring back, but she told us to do it ourselves. Maybe I can convince her though, once we get home.”

“I think we should do it ourselves.” Beatrice replied.

“Really?”

“Yes, why not?” 

“I’m not a very good cook.” Ava looked down at the dirt as she spoke. “You might end up doing most of the work yourself so I don’t screw it all up.” 

“Would you at least stay and help?” Beatrice wondered aloud, excited at the mere prospect of more time with Ava.

“Not only will I  _ help _ …” She made air quotes around the word  _ help. _ “But I will sneak as many cinnamon apple slices as I can physically fit in my body.” 

“Wow. How can I pass up on an offer like that?” Once again, Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh.

“I know, I know.” Ava bowed dramatically, before picking a few apples off a nearby tree. “See?” She held the apple up and posed in front of the tree. “I fit right in amongst the wilderness.” 

“I’m not sure this counts as wilderness.” Beatrice answered, picking a few apples of her own. 

“Everyone’s a critic.” Ava mumbled in a lighthearted grump. 

For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Instead, they orbited around one another, picking apples and drinking cider. 

“Can I be honest with you for a moment?” Ava asked quietly. 

“You’re usually honest, Ava. Forthcoming, maybe not.” Beatrice met her gaze. “But yes.” 

“I was quite nervous to ask you on a… Date.” The way she hesitated made Beatrice’s heart race. “Especially when I saw you wearing that.” Ava pointed to the crucifix that Beatrice was still wearing. 

“This is… Complicated.” She ran a finger over the silver cross. 

“Just to clarify, you’re  _ not  _ super religious then?” A smile played across Ava’s face, but for once, Beatrice didn’t return it.

“Not anymore, at least.” Beatrice mumbled, overly aware of her closeness to Ava in that moment. 

“You know I need more details than that.” Ava whispered, trying to be respectful, even as her curiosity won out. 

“My parents are quite religious and wanted the same for me.” Beatrice barely provided any more detail.

“Did they not approve of…” Ava trailed off, unsure of how Beatrice would describe herself.

“Among other things, I suppose.” She sighed, looking up at the grey sky for a moment before meeting Ava’s gaze once more. “I was always too outspoken, too studious. They wanted me to be successful, but only to a certain extent. Anything more should be reserved for men only. At least, in their eyes.” Beatrice spoke quickly. This was the first time she’d told anyone this much about her parents. 

“I’m sorry.” Ava mumbled, her emotions split. Half of her felt sympathy towards Beatrice and frustration that anyone would hold her back from greatness. Conversely, Ava felt as though her curiosity was barely satiated. She had a million more questions she could ask. 

“You have no reason to apologise. I should apologise.” Beatrice sounded suddenly angry, making Ava flinch ever so slightly. “Your parents are  _ dead.  _ Yet here I am, complaining about my wealthy, living set of parents.” 

Beatrice tried to turn away, but Ava caught her by the wrist. “It’s okay.” She whispered, pulling Beatrice closer. “Just because they are alive doesn’t mean you have to love them. You’ve told me very little, admittedly, but it doesn’t sound like they are worthy of being related to you.”

“That… Wasn’t what I expected you to say.” Beatrice choked after a few moments of silence. There were only a few inches between them, which made it difficult to think.

“That’s the Ava Silva experience, isn’t it?” She laughed as her hand slid from Beatrice’s wrist, their fingers intertwined once more. 

“I mean… We have a ghost in our house, so I think you’ve been beat.” Beatrice chuckled lightly, grateful for the change in topic. 

“Ugh…” Ava hung her head for a moment in feigned frustration. “Don’t even get me started about the ghost.” 

“Do you really,  _ really _ think it is a ghost?” Beatrice asked as they walked, hand in hand, through the orchard. 

“I have since we first saw it.” Ava replied, hoping Beatrice couldn’t tell how nervous she was internally. “I know I was… A little bit drunk, but I knew.” 

“To be fair, you were more than slightly drunk.” Beatrice grinned as she spoke. 

“Hey! I was having a good time, okay?!” 

“I know. I was envious of you for that.” Beatrice admitted.

“What? Why?” Ava stared at her, close enough to see the freckles that dotted her cheeks.

“You and Camila… Well, everyone that night… You all seemed so carefree.”

“Oh.” Ava wasn’t sure how to reply to that. After a minute or two, she spoke again. “I’m sorry. You know you can join us at any time though, right? In our little dance circle!” She did a weird little shuffle to illustrate her point.

“I know that, theoretically, I  _ could. _ ” Beatrice stopped explaining for a second. “Okay, enough about my problems.”

“I want to hear about your problems, though. Well, not  _ just  _ your problems, of course. You say that I’m not forthcoming, but neither are you. I want to know you, Beatrice.” Ava spoke too fast, she was obviously flustered. They had reached the end of the orchard and now stood before the corn maze that had been cut into the field. 

“I’m not that exciting…” Beatrice told Ava.

“You know what would be exciting? Corn maze!” She led Beatrice into the maze, their shoes sinking slightly in the mud. 

“And for the record, I think you are exciting.” Ava continued as they began to walk through the maze. “And smart. So hopefully, you’ll be able to find your way through these… Corn-idors.” 

“That was a bad one.” Yet, Beatrice couldn’t help but smile at the terrible pun.

“Plenty more where that came from.” Ava giggled, an intoxicating sound in itself.

“Oh, lovely.” Beatrice pretended to be disappointed. 

They continued to hold hands as they wandered through the corn maze. It was oddly relaxing and the huge swaths of corn provided a nice break from the cold wind. 

“Did you come to school in America to avoid your parents?” Ava asked, suddenly and without preamble.

“Yes.” Beatrice answered simply and honestly. 

“Do you regret it?” 

“No.” 

“Thank you for answering my questions, even if you were less than verbose.” Ava squeezed Beatrice’s hand as they walked. 

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice inhaled, gathering her courage. “Do you miss your parents?”

“Yes, but no.” Ava shook her head, as if to refresh her thoughts. “They’ve been dead for a long time now. It might be awful to say, but I barely remember my life with them. Moreso, I think about what  _ could have  _ been. Especially during the bad days at the orphanage, I would imagine a happy life for myself where they were still alive.” 

“Ava, I’m sorry.” Beatrice said. In a different way, she oddly understood the sentiment. 

“You have nothing to apologise for. My life now, in college, and finally free… Is amazing. Of course, it’s stressful sometimes too, and I feel unprepared quite often… But it’s fantastic nonetheless.” Ava smiled widely as she explained.

“Why do you feel unprepared?”

“I didn’t go to a good high school, nor did I have parents who cared about my success. Or anyone, really. I’m not stupid, but… Sometimes, I feel like I’m behind the rest of my classmates as far as college-related skills go. Trying to figure everything out my freshman year was a nightmare.” Ava elaborated, helping Beatrice to understand.

“Given all of that, you’ve done incredibly well.” 

“Coming from you, that’s high praise.” 

“Seriously, Ava. You’re…” Beatrice paused, a huge grin on her face. “A-maize-ing.” 

“Beatrice! Did you just make a joke? A pun, no less?” Ava’s eyes lit up.

“Don’t tell anyone.” She whispered, just as they found the exit from the maze. 

“That wasn’t that hard.” Ava noted as they walked back to the car. 

“I’m pretty sure it’s for children.” 

“Oh. Well, I still had fun. Plus, we can make pie!” Ava’s enthusiasm was contagious, Beatrice’s face hurt from all the smiling she’d done that afternoon. 

“I had fun too.” Beatrice whispered. She wasn’t as nervous as she was when they first arrived. Ava had an odd way of setting people at ease. 

Back at the OKΣ house, all of their sisters were mysteriously missing. On the kitchen counter was a note, a loopy scrawl from Camila. 

_ Ava and Bea, _

_ Hope you two had fun. Attached is my pie recipe. Follow it to THE LETTER. Seriously. Lilith and I will be home after dinner and we are looking forward to pie ;) _

_ P.S. Bea, don’t leave Ava unattended with the apples.  _

_ Love, Cam _

Beatrice flipped through the recipe. “Camila really doesn’t trust you with the apples, huh?” 

“That’s fair.” Ava shrugged. “She’s been burned before.”

“Alright. Well, this isn’t that different than following lab instructions in class. Time to make my first pie.” 

“First?” Ava raised an eyebrow.

“Well, we don’t eat pie in England.”

“Huh. Go figure.” Ava pulled herself onto the counter and watched Beatrice move methodically about the kitchen. Quickly, the table filled with ingredients. “You really  _ seem  _ like you know what you’re doing, at least.” Ava quipped from the counter as Beatrice meticulously measured ingredients. 

“Gee, thanks.” She muttered, without looking up. 

Once the pie crust was done and chilling in the fridge, Beatrice washed and peeled all of the apples they had picked. Then, she sliced them and coated the slices in cinnamon, sugar, and a few other spices. Just as Camila had written. As Beatrice turned back to the table to prepare the pan, she heard a small crunching noise. She whipped around, staring directly at Ava. 

“Ava… What was that noise?” Beatrice asked, although she knew exactly what it was. 

“Uh…” Ava put a hand over her mouth. “No idea.” She murmured. 

“Is that so?” Beatrice stepped over to the counter where Ava was seated, standing between her legs. 

“Yip.” Ava quickly swallowed. 

Their eyes met, Beatrice was enamoured by Ava’s charming, goofy grin. Her eyes fell to Ava’s lips, as her hand rested against Ava’s jeans, just above the knee. A moment later, they finally kissed, closing the distance between them. It was like nothing Beatrice had experienced, yet, it was everything she expected. Ava was warm, her movements slow and kind. She tasted like cinnamon. 


	12. The Peppa Pig Cinematic Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmfao what a fuckin joke this fic is

Ava and Beatrice broke apart just as the door slammed shut in the hallway. Camila rounded the corner a moment later, the smile on her face making it evident that she knew what was going on. 

“Cam, take your shoes off!” Lilith called from the hallway, forcing Camila to retreat for a moment, before returning with her girlfriend. 

“It smells good in here.” Camila was still grinning ear to ear. “Did you make my pie recipe?” 

“I did my best.” Ava answered quickly, since Beatrice seemed to still be recovering from her embarrassment. “Beatrice was no help though.”

“Hey!” Beatrice recovered her voice. 

“She ate all the apples, didn’t she?” Lilith asked knowingly, before sitting down at the table. 

“How did you know?” Beatrice wondered, looking between the now-baking pie and the empty bowl that should have been filled with leftover fruit.

“There’s been incidents before.” Lilith responded.

“That’s rich coming from someone with a made-up accent!” Ava retorted. Admittedly, it wasn’t her best comeback, but it certainly wasn’t her worst, either. 

“What? That’s my accent too.” Beatrice was visibly confused. 

“Nope.” Ava crossed her arms. “British accents were invented in 2004, as part of the PPCU.” 

“The what?” Lilith was just as perplexed as Beatrice was. 

“The Peppa Pig Cinematic Universe!” Ava exclaimed, as though it were obvious. 

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Lilith whispered, while Camila doubled over in silent, tearful laughter. Ava did the same, cackling at her own joke. 

“It’s not even that funny?” 

“I think we ought to let them have this.” Lilith replied, looking at Camila in quiet admiration. 

Beatrice did just that, instead opting to take a peek at the pie. She was no baker, but it looked about done, so she pulled it out of the oven.

“Whew…” Camila wiped the tears from her eyes and clapped Ava on the back. “That was a good one.” 

“Thank you, I’m here all week, folks!” Ava pretended to take a bow. 

Camila then wandered over to the counter, keen to get a look at Beatrice’s handiwork. “Not bad, Bea!” 

“Really?” Beatrice felt confident in most of what she did, but baking was outside her realm of expertise. 

“The crust work on the top is a little bit sloppy, but overall, it’s great. Especially for your first attempt.” Camila smiled at her and Beatrice returned the gesture. 

“But when can we eat it?” Ava appeared between them, an arm around each woman. The contact made Beatrice blush.

“Patience is a virtue, Ava.” Lilith muttered from her seat at the table. 

“If we put it in the fridge now, then we can cut it in half an hour.” Camila answered, while Beatrice did as instructed. 

“Do we have vanilla ice cream?” Ava asked once the pie was safely tucked away. 

Camila quickly checked the freezer. “No. We’ve got plenty of frozen vegetables though, if you want to break your nose again or start eating healthier.” 

“You know damn well I don’t!” Ava took a seat next to Lilith and pulled out her phone. Within a moment, the phone was ringing, on speakerphone. 

“Hello?” Mary’s voice echoed in the kitchen. 

“Mary?” Ava looked slightly confused. “This is Shannon’s phone, why are you answering?”

“Do you need something, or are you just in the business of asking dumb questions?” Mary asked, while Lilith clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. 

“Let’s start over.” Ava grinned, although Mary obviously couldn’t see it. “Hi, it’s me, Ava - your absolute favourite person in the whole world.” 

“Ava?” It was Shannon on the other end now. “Mary passed me the phone and told me to deal with it, what’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Where are you right now?” Ava wondered innocently. 

“Why?” 

“Will you bring home ice cream? Please?” 

“Again, why?” Shannon sounded curious at best, annoyed at worst. 

“Beatrice and I made a delightful apple pie, although it could really use some accompaniment.” Ava answered, with a wink at Beatrice. 

“Say no more.” Shannon answered. “We’ll be back in a bit!” 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Ava hung up, then addressed her friends in the room. “We’re in business, boys.” 

“You know what would really take this to the next level?” Camila’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. “Pajamas and a horror movie!” 

“Oh my  _ God! _ ” Ava jumped from her chair. “Camila, you’re a genius. Sorry, Beatrice. You’ve been dethroned.” Beatrice opened her mouth to speak, but Ava and Camila had already ran from the room. 

“They’re quite a handful sometimes.” Lilith muttered as she stood up.

“That’s an understatement… Peppa.” Beatrice couldn’t resist making the joke, although she wished Ava was there to hear it. 

A few minutes later, Beatrice and Lilith met again in the living room. They were both clad in pajamas, yet Ava and Camila were noticeably absent. Footsteps were audible from upstairs, though, it sounded as though both of them were frantically running around. 

“Okay! We’re ready!” Ava shouted as she appeared in the doorway a moment later. Her arms were loaded with pillows and blankets, as were Camila’s. 

“Is that my comforter?” Lilith asked, looking at the blanket in Camila’s arms.

“No…” She lied with a smile. 

“Sure seems like it.” Lilith replied, although she didn’t seem particularly angry. 

“What are all of these for?” Beatrice wondered, looking at the mess that Ava and Camila had created.

“It’s so we can be cozy!” Ava answered with a toothy grin. 

“Oh?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow. 

Camila and Ava worked quickly, turning the couch and floor into a cozy hideaway. “Is this really necessary?” Lilith wondered aloud, exchanging a look of agreement with Beatrice.

“Yes!” Camila replied, fluffing one last pillow before turning around. “Now we need to pick a movie.” 

“A horror movie, right?” Ava confirmed.

“Of course!” Camila agreed, pulling out the massive bin of DVDs that lived under the TV. 

“What about this one?” Ava held up a copy of  _ The Blair Witch Project. _

“No way, it’s not even scary!” Camila argued. 

“Here. This is better.” Lilith pulled  _ The Conjuring  _ from the box. 

“Lilith, really?” Beatrice regarded her with surprise, she thought that Lilith would consider horror movies below her.

“What? I like an occasional scare.” Lilith shrugged. 

“Wait. Is watching this going to tempt our ghost?” Ava asked.

“I don’t think it works like that…” Beatrice answered quietly. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Ava went back to sorting through the discs. 

“Okay, okay. I got it.” Camila dramatically revealed her choice.  _ It Follows. _

“Oh yeah! That’s a good one!” Ava agreed at once. 

“Agreed.” Lilith nodded.

Everyone looked at Beatrice for approval. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never watched a horror movie before.”

“Never?” Ava was shocked.    
“Never.” 

“Woah…” Ava breathed, almost needlessly dramatic. “Hey! They’re here!” She ran to the window, watching Shannon’s car pull into the driveway. 

“Did you get it?” Ava yelled from the doorway and Shannon and Mary got out of the car. 

“Yes, Ava.” Shannon laughed, while Mary only rolled her eyes.

“Yes!” Ava stepped out of the way to let them into the house. “Go change into your pajamas! We’re having movie night and pie - starting in ten minutes!” 

“Finally, a good idea.” Mary smiled, squeezing Ava’s shoulder on the way past. 

Once Shannon and Mary changed, they met their sisters in the kitchen. With the appropriate reverence, Beatrice pulled her pie from the fridge. It was nicely set now; ready to be cut.

“Beatrice made this?” Mary teased. 

“Not without my help, of course.” Ava quipped, earning her a joking glare from Beatrice.

“Here.” Camila passed her a pie serving knife. 

Carefully, Beatrice cut six slices from her creation. They looked immaculate, although that said nothing for the taste. 

“For the piece de resistance!” Shannon scooped ice cream onto each plate. Almost in unison, each of them carried their plates into the cocoon in the living room. Mary sat next to Shannon on one side of the couch. Lilith took the other side, with Camila half in her lap. On the floor, Beatrice joined Ava. 

“This is  _ so  _ good!” Ava enthused. 

“I’m impressed, Bea.” Camila added with a grin. 

“As am I.” Mary concluded. “Camila might have some competition.” 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Beatrice laughed. “Baking is way too much work.” 

“Agreed.” Lilith gave her a nod. 

“Enough pie talk!” Ava raised a hand. “Time for the movie!” She turned the lights off in the room and pressed play on the remote. The TV flicked to life as the movie began to play. After finishing her pie, Ava snuck her hand around Beatrice’s in the dark. Beatrice was grateful for the darkness - it hid the blush creeping across her cheeks. 

As the movie continued, however, Beatrice drew closer and closer to Ava. She wasn’t scared, of course, that would be  _ ridiculous _ . Yet somehow, by the middle of the film, Ava had an arm around her waist, while Beatrice rested her head against Ava’s shoulder. At one of the jump scares, Beatrice was startled, but Ava squeezed her tightly. Beatrice wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or embarrassed. 

All six of them were so engrossed in the movie, and warmed by the blankets, that they didn’t notice the temperature dropping in the room. Perhaps more terrifyingly, none of them noticed the dark, blurry figure that was standing in the doorway behind them.


	13. Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava and Beatrice spend the evening together. For SAFETY!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cant sleep cant eat - just writeeeee

Out of nowhere, the TV went dark. Reflected in the screen was the shadowy figure, eliciting a scream from the group of them.

“Shannon! Whatever you’ve done, it’s not funny!” Mary yelled as she dove from the couch, putting as much distance between her and the figure as possible. 

“That’s not me…” Shannon whispered, staring at the blur that stood before them. 

It stepped closer once, then twice, before dissolving from view. The TV turned back on, yet no movie could ever be as scary as what they just experienced. Ava turned it off, while Camila flipped on the lights. 

“Dinner  _ and  _ a show!” Ava tried to joke, but the colour was gone from her face.

“Do you believe me now?” Camila asked, addressing the room as a whole. 

“I’m certainly more inclined to, yes.” Lilith answered, feeling guilty for not believing Camila about the ghost earlier. 

“Fuck!” Mary looked pissed. “Our house is really haunted!” She sighed, trying to calm herself. “Ava, if I find out that this is because of the damn board, I swear…” 

“Enough, Mary.” Shannon put a hand on her shoulder. “Ava and Camila both saw stuff before the board came into this.”

“I have an idea…” Beatrice finally spoke, a hand around the cross on her necklace. “Tomorrow, Camila and I can head to the county clerk’s office. Maybe we can find the history of this house. That would be a good place to start, right?” 

“Great idea!” Ava exclaimed, before patting Beatrice on the back. “You’re a genius!” 

“I can come too.” Lilith added quietly. “I don’t have class tomorrow.” 

“Six eyes are better than four.” Camila replied. 

“Wait! I want to come too!” Ava hated feeling left out. 

“No.” Shannon answered first. “You need to go to class, which I  _ know  _ you have tomorrow.” 

“Lame.” Ava crossed her arms in a feigned pout. 

“I’ll text you if we find anything interesting.” Camila whispered, making Ava smile. 

“What do we do in the meantime?” Mary’s anger had turned into poorly disguised fear. 

“Umm…” Ava whipped out her phone, quickly keying in her query. “It says stay with someone, at least in pairs. You’re less likely to be approached by a spectre if you aren’t alone.” 

“What else?” Shannon’s voice was nearly as terse as Mary’s. Understandably, of course, since they had both gone from complete disbelief to the other extreme in a matter of moments. 

“Carry a religious symbol with you.” Ava continued, as all eyes shifted to Beatrice and her newly appointed crucifix. 

“Beatrice? How long have you feared the ghost?” Lilith asked.

“Since the… Board incident.” She answered honestly, having nothing to fear. Well, other than whatever malevolent force was haunting their sorority house. 

“Alright…” Mary regarded her curiously. “Everyone stay in pairs tonight and keep your phones on - just in case. Okay?” Everyone quickly agreed, eager to avoid a repeat of whatever just happened. 

“The pie was great, though.” Ava told Beatrice as their sisters left the room and headed upstairs.

“Thank you.” Beatrice replied automatically, instead thinking of how she and Ava had only just had their first date… Yet now had to spend a night together. It was certainly an odd predicament. 

The next hour found Ava awkwardly laying on Beatrice’s floor, the room barely lit, since neither of them wanted to be in complete darkness. 

“So…” Ava began, struggling to contain her nervous laughter. 

“Ava. You’re being ridiculous. Come up here.” Beatrice wasn’t sure if it was fear that made her want to be closer to Ava, or something else entirely. 

“No. I’m being respectful.” 

“I’m scared.” Beatrice told her - a half truth. 

“Okay, okay. If you insist.” Ava joined Beatrice on the bed, careful to keep a buffer of space between them. 

“Thank you.” Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief as Ava’s familiar warmth grew closer. 

“That was pretty scary, huh?” 

“I’ve literally never been this scared in my life.” Beatrice replied, unusually honest and forthcoming. 

“Same, but… Well, I am worried for the ghost, too.” Ava answered, characteristically cryptic. 

“You’re what?” Beatrice turned onto her side, watching Ava in the dim light. Only the outline of her face was visible, but it was enough to make Beatrice’s heart flutter. 

“What if it’s a tormented soul? Like, what if it’s only haunting the house because he’s suffering?” Ava posited, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.

“I hadn’t thought of that…” This wasn’t a sentence Beatrice said often. 

“I mean, it could just as easily be trying to kill us. We don’t know for sure.” Ava continued. “Depending on what you guys find tomorrow, maybe we can call a priest… Or the Ghostbusters. Or a wizard?”

“Sure.” Beatrice chuckled, despite the cold fear that had settled in her stomach.

“I have to fill out my declaration paperwork tomorrow.” Ava told her, a complete subject change.

“You still haven’t told me what you’ve decided on.”

“And I’m not going to until tomorrow. I don’t want to jinx it.” 

“You can tell me whenever you feel ready to.” Beatrice replied in a whisper. 

“Thanks for understanding.” Ava was quiet for several seconds. “I had fun today, by the way.” 

“Me too.” Beatrice smiled in the dark. “It was my first, first date.” 

“Me too.” Ava grinned back at her. “And with a  _ woman,  _ no less.” She giggled. 

“Is that a bad thing?” Beatrice was suddenly self-conscious. Ava didn’t answer immediately, but Beatrice could feel her nervousness.

“No. It’s just… New. Plus…” Ava stuttered. “I think I used up all of my confidence and glib tonight. Now… Now I’m just nervous again.” 

“Oh.” Beatrice’s cheeks burned, thankfully Ava couldn’t see them in the dark. 

“Anyways…” Ava trailed off awkwardly. “How are you?” 

“I’m…” Beatrice thought about how to answer for a moment. “I’m terrified about the ghost in our house, but other than that, I had a great day.” 

“How’s school?” Ava seemed to be making the most mundane conversation possible, likely to distract herself from the lack of space between them. 

“It’s fine, Ava.” She couldn’t help but laugh at seeing what Ava was doing.

“Why are you laughing?” 

“It’s funny. We’ve known since last semester’s rush season, yet you’re talking to me like we met fifteen minutes ago.” 

“Fine, I’ll ask a hard hitting question!” Ava replied with surprising force. “Okay… Do you think we could go on another date sometime? Preferably soon?” 

“Of course. That wasn’t a hard question.” Beatrice’s cheeks ached from smiling. 

“I started with a softball. That’s what all the pro interviewers do.” 

“I see.” Beatrice gripped the edge of her blanket tightly, trying to keep herself from reaching out for Ava’s hand. 

“What’s your favourite classical composer?” Ava asked from her perch on the edge of the bed. 

“Why do you think I have one?” Beatrice was jokingly offended. 

“I just have a feeling.” 

“I hate that.” She crossed her arms. “It’s Brahms.” 

“Thank you for answering.” Ava chuckled. “I’ll have to check him out sometime.”    
“I can make you some recommendations.” 

“Thank you. May I ask another?”

“Sure, why not?” Beatrice was feeling adventurous. 

“Can I move six inches closer to you?” Ava’s asked in a whisper.

“What? Oh? Sure?” As Beatrice answered, Ava slid slightly closer. Their shoulders were touching, a nervous point of contact between them. 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” Beatrice took a deep breath and gathered her nerves. Slowly, she reached down, taking Ava’s hand in her own. 

“I...I…” Ava was obviously nervous - in the happiest way possible. “I like you.”

“I like you too.” Beatrice couldn’t help but laugh, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. 

“Why did you join omicron?” 

“Hmm…” Ava’s question came from nowhere, so Beatrice took a few seconds to think about it. “I thought it would be a good way to force myself into making friends.” 

“Did you need forcing?” Ava squeezed Beatrice’s hand slightly as she asked. 

“More or less. I spent my childhood in hyper competitive boarding schools, there were very few friendships. Most of them were toxic anyhow, it just wasn’t worth the risk. My freshman year here was lonely, I couldn’t seem to find friends. Maybe I just didn’t have the social skills, I don’t know.” Beatrice’s explanation was shockingly honest and another detail she’d only divulged to Ava. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m happy I joined. I feel like I’ve found a family here. A crazy, slightly drunken, prank-obsessed family.” Beatrice was beyond grateful for her membership. “Why did you join?” 

“Similar reasons, actually.” Ava’s answer was much more succinct. 

“Really?” 

“Yes. I didn’t have friends at the orphanage, it was a rough place. I was always happy to go to school because it was an escape for me, but I didn’t have many friends there. People didn’t want to be friends with the orphanage kids.” Ava added, quietly, as though she were ashamed. Beatrice didn’t reply, instead opting to turn to her side, and wrap an arm around Ava. They laid like that for hours, quietly talking, trying to avoid thinking about the ghost. 

Eventually, they fell asleep. Morning found them even more tangled up than they were the night before. Obviously, the haunting was far from ideal, but it seemed to be working out for some members of OKΣ.


	14. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith runs into an old friend and the group makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not feeling great and didn't proofread this so be gentle, ya?

“So, Beatrice…” Camila began as she drove. “How was your night?” Beatrice leaned back against the seat and sighed. She wasn’t angry with Camila, of course, but she wasn’t eager to dissect her brand new relationship with Ava.

“It was good.” 

“Good, she says.” Lilith said to Camila from the passenger seat. “How cryptic.” 

“Since when do you join in with the teasing?” Beatrice asked from the back.

“Normally, I don’t. But this is almost more exciting than the ghost.” Lilith replied, turning to flash Beatrice a quick smile. 

“No it’s not! Don’t even joke!” Camila exclaimed, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. “That  _ ghost  _ is a serious problem.”

“Ava thinks that it's haunting us because it is suffering. Therefore, we need to help it.” Beatrice added. She wasn’t deaf to the way her voice changed when she said Ava’s name. 

“Does she really?” Lilith’s disbelief was obvious. 

“Ava might be a bit silly, but she’s really empathetic.” Camila told Lilith, a sentiment Beatrice couldn’t agree with more. “That is, unless her and Shannon are pranking people.”

“That’s fair.” Beatrice suppressed a smile. 

“Alright. We’re here.” Camila pulled into the parking lot. “What’s our game plan? Do we just walk up and say ‘hi our house is haunted, please help?’”

“That’s the gist of it.” Lilith muttered as she got out of the car. 

As they walked in, it was immediately apparent that the office didn’t get a lot of visitors. There was a single old woman at the counter, who waved to them immediately.

“Lilith! Nice to see you again!” She called with a smile on her face.

“You too, Eunice.” Lilith replied as she walked towards the desk. Beatrice and Camila exchanged a smirk before following her.

“What can I help you with today, sweetie?” Eunice asked as they gathered around her workstation.

“We’re having some…” Lilith paused, trying to decide how to word her sentences. “Issues at our sorority house. We were hoping we could look through its history and maybe any news articles about it.” 

“Of course, dear.” She reached into her drawer, pulling out a notecard and a pen. “Why don’t you write down the address for me and I’ll see what I can find.” 

“Thank you.” Lilith smiled and did as instructed. 

“Any time!” Eunice stood up. “Why don’t you three cuties go sit down at the table, I might be a while.” She gestured towards the single solitary table, tucked between several dustry filing cabinets. 

“So…” Camila began, once Eunice had retreated to the back room. “How do you two know each other?” 

“Don’t be weird.” Lilith seemed embarrassed. “I was here a lot last year. For a project I was working on.” 

“It definitely seems like there’s more to the story.” Beatrice teased, wishing that Ava was here to join in. 

“Okay!” Lilith threw her hands up in defeat. “I didn’t have as many friends last year so Eunice and I would talk.” 

“Awww… That’s actually really sweet.” Camila looked on at her girlfriend in admiration. 

“Agreed.” Beatrice nodded, surprised at Lilith’s honesty. 

“You ladies certainly have an interesting house!” Eunice announced, appearing in the doorway with a box in her arms. Lilith jumped from her chair to help the older woman carry it to the table. 

“We do?” Camila felt a fresh wave of fear as she remembered the blurry man. 

“I wasn’t expecting to find any newspaper clippings, since that’s rare for residential properties. Yet, there’s all these.” She pulled a thick folder from the box. “Here’s all of the other records I could find. Honestly, this is a surprising amount of information.” 

“Thank you, Eunice.” Lilith smiled at her, grateful for her help.

“Any time!” She returned Lilith’s smile. “I’ll be over at my desk if you need anything.” 

“This is… A lot.” Beatrice whispered as she opened up the folder. 

“Apparently the house was built in 1904.” Camila mumbled as she scanned over a copy of the deed. 

“This might be worse.” Lilith pulled a dusty newspaper article from the box. 

“What does it say?” Camila asked, already scared of the answer. 

Lilith’s eyes scanned over the article, before she summarised it to her sisters. “A priest lived there initially, from 1904 to 1912. Apparently, he was found brutally murdered and the case was never solved.” 

“What room was it in?” Camila felt the ice in her veins. “Please don’t say mine.” 

“It doesn’t specify.” 

“Did this priest have a name?” Beatrice asked.

“Father Vincent.” Lilith answered. Beatrice and Camila both froze in their seats. “Why, what’s wrong with you two?” 

“When Ava and I were using the Ouija board, the ghost told us its initials were  _ FV. _ ” Camila breathed. “It said it was killed by something that began with  _ D-E. _ ” 

“That certainly… Complicates matters.” Lilith was still hesitant to believe in a full blown haunting, but she grew more convinced every day. 

“Can I see that article?” Beatrice asked. Lilith quickly passed it to her and she snapped a picture, sending it to the sorority group message. 

Beatrice: [attached photo]

Ava:  _ Oh my god! OMG! The board said FV! Told you all the house was haunted! Does everyone believe us now!? _

Mary:  _ Ava chill. B, is this legit? _

Beatrice:  _ Yes. We are at the county office right now.  _

Shannon:  _ Fuck. Meeting tonight. 7pm in the living room.  _

“Have there been other murders?” Camila wondered as she sorted through the articles. 

“Doesn’t seem like it. Wait…” Lilith extricated another scrap from the pile. “This isn’t a murder, but someone in the 60s wrote into the newspaper about how her house was haunted.”

“Let me guess, it’s our house.” The frustration in Beatrice’s voice was unmistakable. 

“Bingo.” Lilith stood up and walked over to Eunice’s desk to ask about making copies of the articles they found. 

“This is insane.” Camila whispered. “I never want to be alone in that house again.” 

“Me neither…” Beatrice replied. She was half thinking of the ghost, yet also remembering her night with Ava. A smile spread across Camila’s face, it was obvious she had been thinking the same thing.

“Is that so?” 

“Oh my  _ God. _ ” Beatrice laughed. “What do you want to know?”

“Can you just let me be nosy? I didn’t even know Ava was gay until last week, okay!” 

“You can be nosy.” 

“Thank you!” Camila thought for a moment. “How was your date?”

“It was great. Not that I have much to compare it to, mind you.” Beatrice answered honestly. 

“Did you hold hands?” Camila watched Beatrice carefully, as if trying to sense what the answer might be. 

“Yes?” 

“Did you…  _ Kiss? _ ” Beatrice hesitated for a moment before nodding. “You did?!” Camila kept her voice low but her excitement was more than evident. 

“Yes, Camila. Right before you and Lilith got home, actually.” Beatrice couldn’t help but grin.    
“I knew it!” She lowered her voice to a tiny whisper. “Was it good?” 

“I’m not answering that.” Although the smile on Beatrice’s face gave her away. 

“You don’t need to.” A wink accompanied Camila’s words. 

“Are you two ready to go?” Lilith regarded them curiously, it was obvious their conversation had slipped away from hauntings. She held up a freshly copied packet of papers. “Eunice was kind enough to make us copies of everything.”

“We’re ready. But before we go, you should go give Eunice your phone number so you two can keep in touch.” Camila told Lilith, without a hint of a joke. 

“She… She already has it.” 

“Oh.” Camila nodded. “Okay. Let’s go. Maybe we can stop for a PSL on the way.” 

“Not you too!” Beatrice looked at her in shock. 

“Who do you think introduced Ava to them in the first place?” Camila giggled. “Bye Eunice, thank you!” 

“Thank you!” Beatrice called, as they walked out the door. 

“Have a great day, dears!” She replied with a wide smile. 

Shannon’s evening meeting rolled around surprisingly fast. She stood in front of the TV, while everyone else sat on the couch and floor. 

“Okay, we should have had this meeting on Sunday, my bad.” Shannon looked down at her notes. “Obviously, we need to talk about the  _ ghost  _ issue, although we have some other issues to discuss first. Mary, you had something to announce, right?” 

“Yeah.” Everyone’s eyes turned to Mary. “With the recent supernatural…  _ Events,  _ Shannon and I have decided to place a temporary ban on pranks.”

“That’s fair.” Ava whispered, a surprising response in itself. She could obviously sense that, though, because she added a follow-up. “I haven’t pranked anyone in days!”

“True.” Shannon nodded at her pranking buddy. “Next, grade checks are this Friday, everyone keep that in mind.” While it was left unsaid, this reminder was solely for Ava. “Also, we really need to figure out a group Halloween costume. Parties start Thursday night and extend through the weekend.” 

“I’m telling you! Nuns!” Ava nearly shouted in excitement. “How freaking funny would it be? I mean, can you image Lilith as a  _ nun _ ? Not even a sexy nun, just a regular nun.” 

“I’m glad you find my lack of sex appeal funny.” Lilith bit. 

“What? That’s not what I meant. Trust me, you’re sexy as fuck. But that would be too obvious of a costume.”

“That was… Not a good save.” Mary told her between laughs. 

“Anyways…” Shannon carried on from the awkwardness that Ava had just created. “Let’s discuss our haunting issue.” 

“I don’t want to be alone in this house.” Camila repeated what she had said earlier. 

“I think we should all continue to stay in pairs and keep our phones on just in case. Mary and I went out today and picked up these. Better safe than sorry.” She reached out for a box on the shelf, which was full of crosses. 

There were a few moments of silence as each of them, sans Beatrice, clipped on a crucifix. “Okay, we’re already closer to being nuns, just saying.” Ava muttered, the cross looking oddly out of place around her neck. 

“This seems homophobic.” Mary whispered, looking down at it. Beatrice stayed silent, although her own crucifix seemed to double in weight. 

“I’ve been in contact with a few local parishes, to see what we can do about having a professional come over.” Shannon continued, clearly demonstrating why she was the leader of this chapter. “We’ll just have to hold tight until then. Sorry guys, I wish I had a better solution.”

“Hey, you’re doing great.” Mary offered her a wide grin. 

“Thanks Mary.” Shannon addressed the group once more. “Okay, that’s all for tonight.” 

Since they were no closer to banishing the ghost, Ava found herself in Beatrice’s bed once more. They started closer together than they had the night before and were  _ slightly  _ less nervous. 

“How was your day?” Ava whispered in the dark.

“Other than finding out about the brutal murder in our house? Pretty good. Did you know that Lilith is secretly best friends with the old woman who works at the county clerk’s office?”

“No way.” 

“Her name is Eunice. She’s actually really nice.” 

“Just when you think you know someone...” Ava sounded pensive tonight. 

“How was your day?” Beatrice returned Ava’s question. 

“Good. I filled out my paperwork today. It’s official. I’m majoring in social work.” Ava told Beatrice, who couldn’t see the smile on her face, but it was obvious from her tone. 

“Ava! That’s amazing!” Beatrice gave her a slightly uncomfortable sideways hug. 

“Thank you. I’m happy I finally decided.” 

“How did you come to your decision?” 

“I knew I wanted to help people and… I want to help kids who are in bad places. I don’t want anyone to grow up how I did. So, if I can be the intervening force in their lives, for the better… Well, that could make a huge difference.” Ava explained, slightly self-conscious.

“I’m so proud of you.” Beatrice pulled herself closer to Ava. “You’re a good person.”

“I just hope I do okay… I’ve heard it’s a hard program.” Ava savoured Beatrice’s closeness.

“Are you passionate about it?” 

“Of course.”

“Then you’ll do great.” Beatrice ignored her nerves long enough to press a light kiss against Ava’s cheek. 

“Well, with motivation like that, I definitely will.” Ava mumbled as she turned onto her side. It was a few hours before either of them found sleep.


	15. The Nun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls enlist help with their haunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trish is coming. if you know, you know ;)

Beatrice opened the door for the nun who accompanied her and Camila to the house. At first she had been hesitant to investigate, but the newspaper clippings had helped convince her. She had a huge scar across her eye, which Beatrice couldn’t help but think about. Was it from an exorcism? A haunting? Or something completely mundane?

“Thank you for coming, sister.” Shannon greeted her in the kitchen, while Mary stood stiffly by her side. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable. 

“It’s my job.” She answered, with a polite nod. Obviously, sorority life was far from that of the convent she grew up in, but these women seemed respectful and kind. Before she could ask about the haunting, the rapid sound of footsteps filled the room. “Is that the spirit?” 

“No…” Camila struggled to maintain her composure as Ava barrelled through the door. 

“Woah.” Ava froze as she laid eyes on the nun. “A  _ nun. _ ”

“Ava.” Beatrice’s voice was stern. “This is Mother Superion. She’s here to assess our haunting.” 

“Don’t they normally send a priest for that?” Ava asked. She wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, she was genuinely curious.

“Anything a man can do, a woman can do better.” Mother Superion answered stiffly. 

“I’ll drink to that.” Mary chuckled, before she attracted a glare from the nun and a swift elbow from Shannon. 

“What’s it like? Being a nun?” Ava wondered, clearly missing the tension she was creating. It was hard not to admire her for the innate curiosity. 

“Perhaps we ought to talk about the spirit, first.” Mother Superion’s patience was clearly wearing thin. 

“Of course.” Beatrice nodded. “What do you need from us?” 

“First, let’s start with a recollection of each encounter.” 

“Would you like a cup of tea while we go over it?” Lilith had infinitely more manners than Ava. 

“I’d love one, thank you.” Mother Superion answered as she took a seat at the table. 

“Ava and I saw it first.” Beatrice began, sitting across from the nun and next to Ava. The sudden proximity to religion made her nervous and she tried to keep calm. 

“I was…” Ava trailed off, clearly about to say blasted. “I was very tired, as was Beatrice. It was late. When the lights turned on in the house, we saw a silhouette in the window. Of a man.” 

“Here you are, sister.” Lilith whispered as she presented the nun with a cup of tea. She also made one for herself and Beatrice.

“Thank you.” Mother Superion nodded. “Go on.” 

“We ran into the house, but after checking everywhere, there was no sign of him.” Beatrice continued. “No signs of forced entry, either. It was if no one was ever here.” 

“That was it, at first.” Camila picked up, leaning against the counter as she spoke. “Of course, there were odd noises here and there. But I was the first one to have an up close encounter with him.”

“Him? You know for sure?” She pulled a small notebook from within her robes and began jotting down a few notes. 

“Mostly.” Camila was hesitant to continue. She was still terrified. “He crawled into my bed, but he was… Blurry. I know that seems like an odd way to describe it, but it’s the best I’ve got. It was as if I needed glasses, but only when I looked at him.” 

“Interesting…” Mother Superion scrawled out another note. “Have there been any other instances?” It was obvious that she expected a ‘no.’

“Just the one from the night before last.” Shannon answered, the image of their spectre burned into her mind. 

“Oh?” The nun raised an eyebrow.

“We were watching a movie, when suddenly the power went out. He was standing behind us…” Shannon’s voice faltered and Mary grabbed her hand in support. “It stepped forward, but it stretched, in an oddly inhuman way. Just before it reached us, it disappeared, and everything turned back on again.” 

“I don’t want to alarm you, but I think this is serious.” Mother Superion stood. “I will be back later tonight, with supplies and my assistant.” 

“What do you suggest we do in the meantime?” Camila’s worry was etched across her face. 

“Ideally, move. Realistically, stay together. Have an exit plan in case something goes wrong. I’ll be back at sunset.” Without waiting for a reply, Mother Superion glided across the room and out the door. 

“That’s comforting.” Ava mumbled, trying not to betray her fear. 

“Well… I’m going to go literally anywhere other than here and return exactly at sunset.” Mary announced, grabbing her car keys from the rack on the wall. 

“I’m coming with you.” Shannon followed her from the kitchen. 

“So…” Ava looked around the room. “Does anyone want to come to the library with me?” 

“Beatrice does.” Lilith answered as she plucked her own keys from the rack and sped out the door. Camila laughed and headed out with Lilith. 

“Is that so?” Ava asked quietly. Beatrice sighed as a small smile crossed her face.

“Yes. Let’s go.” 

Twenty minutes later, they were set up on one of the massive library tables. Ava had insisted on stopping for coffee on the way, unsurprisingly. 

“You know, once PSL season is over, I’ll have to start drinking peppermint mochas.” Ava mused as she opened the lid of her computer.

“I’m sure those are much better.” Beatrice joked, sarcastically. In fairness, though, she didn’t think there could be a worse beverage than a pumpkin spice latte.

“It depends on how you feel about mint.” Ava explained, as if she were reasoning an academic theory instead of seasonal beverages. “It’s pretty polarising.”

“Why do I feel like you’ve thought a lot about this?” Beatrice smiled.

“Because I have.” Ava turned towards her work. “If I get a good grade on this assignment and hand the rest of my homework in tomorrow, I should be good to stay in omicron.” 

“Told you.”

“You know, you don’t seem like an ‘I told you so’ kind of person. I’m kind of disappointed.” Ava retorted, flashing Beatrice a wide grin. 

“What kind of person do you think I am?” Beatrice was curious; who wouldn’t be? 

“Hmm…” Ava didn’t answer immediately. “I don’t know. I thought you were kind. And brilliant, obviously.”

“I see…” 

“But I also knew you had suffered. In what capacity, I’m still not sure.” Ava added quietly.

“You’ve said that before. What does it mean?” She was almost nervous to ask. 

“I’m not sure if I have a good answer for you. It’s just a… Feeling, I guess.” Ava shrugged, hesitant to continue speaking. 

“Every time we talk, you surprise me. You never say what I expect.” Beatrice mumbled, feeling thrown off.

“Would you be surprised if I told you I liked you?” Ava wondered, careful to avoid Beatrice’s dark gaze. 

“I wish I could say no, but I am.”

“Wait.” Ava slapped the table. “Are you actually?” 

“Yes? Why?” 

“I…” Beatrice almost felt as if she would choke on her words. “I don’t feel… Worthy.” 

Ava stared at Beatrice, her face silent and unchanging. After a minute of this, she suddenly stood up and crossed to the other side of the table. She wrapped Beatrice up in a tight hug. 

“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever said.” Ava whispered. “If anything, it’s the other way around.” 

“What?” Beatrice broke away from Ava. “Now you’re the stupid one.” 

“We can both be stupid?” Ava suggested with a laugh. 

“Now you’re talking.” Beatrice couldn’t help but grin as Ava walked back over to her seat.

“But seriously. You’re fantastic and amazing. Don’t doubt that.” Ava mumbled, her cheeks burning as she spoke. It made her nervous to be so direct, but Beatrice  _ had  _ to know!

“Oh… Thank you.” Beatrice nearly choked on her words. It was beyond difficult for her to accept compliments sometimes. “I could say the same to you.” 

“You really missed out on a good joke opportunity there.” Ava chuckled.

“Do you take anything seriously?”

  
“I do, actually.” Ava grinned before turning to her work. Beatrice found herself watching Ava instead of doing the same. Between the  _ ghost,  _ classes, and the requirements of the sorority; she felt as though she barely had time for Ava. Which, in all honesty, is who Beatrice wanted to focus on. Once midterm season had passed and their spirit was exorcised, Beatrice vowed to dedicate more time to her fledgling  _ relationship. _


	16. The Exorcism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Close encounters of the... Haunted kind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so fucking stupid omfg

As the sun sunk towards the horizon and the sky faded into pink, Mother Superion met the girls of OKΣ outside their home. 

“This is my assistant, Sister Teresa.” She gestured towards the young woman next to her. “Are you all ready?”

“Strictly speaking, do we have to be here for this?” Mary asked, clearly nervous. 

“Yes.” The older nun was almost frustrated with the question. “You all have been living in this house for weeks, at least. There could be traces of the spirit possessing you, just as well as it is the house.”

“That’s comforting.” Lilith grumbled.

“Hey.” Ava whispered to Sister Teresa. “What’s it like being a nun?” 

“Are you truly more focused on that then your haunting?” Teresa raised an eyebrow. 

“I can be concerned about two things at once.” Ava retorted. “I’m just curious. It seems like a lot of rules, some of which would be difficult to follow, I’d imagine.”

“Perhaps.” She cast a disdainful look at their sorority house. “But we all make sacrifices in the name of  _ God. _ ” 

Ava didn’t reply after that, instead opting to stay silent. Beatrice had overheard the conversation, it was a painful reminder of her youth. Thankfully, Mother Superion began leading them into the house, providing a much needed distraction. It was cold as they crossed the threshold, the dark house was nearly freezing. Shannon reached out to turn on the light, but Mother Superion warned her not to.

“The spirit will be more likely to commune with us if we maintain this darkness.” She mumbled, before walking towards the living room. 

“This is so cool.” Ava muttered under her breath. Beatrice squeezed her hand; she was curious if Ava was even capable of fear. 

“Teresa, get the candles ready.” Mother Superion instructed. Sister Teresa immediately followed the order, perching candles around the room and lighting them. 

Once the living room was bathed in an eerie glow, the two nuns spread a cloth over the tabletop, and arranged several items. Among them, a bible and several wooden crosses. Everyone’s breath hung in the air, dimly illuminated by the candles. Even without the supernatural presence, the environment they had created was incredibly creepy. 

“It’s important that once we begin exorcising this house, we must finish. No matter what.” Mother Superion spoke in low tones.

“Why?” Camila asked quietly, scared of what the answer might be. 

“When you try to remove a dark entity, it becomes angry and unlatched from his dwelling - whether that be a person or building. Should we abandon our ceremony, the darkness could easily become bound to one of us.”

“Oh my…” Camila answered, regretting her question. 

“Teresa and I will handle the bulk of the work. I need all of you to join hands and bear witness. If you feel  _ anything  _ out of the ordinary, please make that known. Understood?” Mother Superion looked at everyone, earning a round of nods. No one else dared speak. “Very good. Let’s begin.” As if on cue, Sister Teresa opened the bible to a well-worn passage, and began to read aloud. 

“In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil…” She read quietly, yet with even sentences. 

As Sister Teresa continued to pray, Ava couldn’t help but feel colder and colder. It was as though her bones were made of ice, her blood made of snow. Her neck prickled as though she were being watched, yet she couldn’t bring herself to turn around. Instead, she closed her eyes, desperate to be blind to the evil that swirled around her. 

When her eyes opened once more, she was somewhere else. Rather, some  _ time  _ else. She was still in the house. Before her, stood a priest, his hair beginning to grey with age. It was sunny, the room was filled with light. Yet, the priest seemed shrouded in darkness. He was talking to himself, pacing the room, and muttering under his breath. Through the window, Ava could see a few old cars, as well as several horses. 

While Ava realised where, or when, she was - the priest plucked a black book from the table. At first, Ava thought it was a bible, but the red writing within seemed blasphemous. With a look of horror on her face, she watched him draw his own blood, using it as ink to scrawl out his words. The room seemed to shake as smoke began to rise from nowhere. Ava couldn’t help but gasp. She thought the man couldn’t see her, but upon hearing the noise, he looked up. 

Ava’s eyes opened once more, although this time, she was back with her sisters. With her, however, was the blurry man. She inhaled sharply, startled upon seeing him. 

“Don’t acknowledge his presence, nor break the circle.” Mother Superion instructed as she and Sister Teresa continued to pray. Upon sensing Ava’s panic, Beatrice grasped her hand even tighter than she already had been.

The room grew even colder and ice began to creep up the inside of the windows. The blurry man walked towards the middle of the circle, his limbs stretching and contorting as he did so. Ava could barely breathe as she watched him creep forward, an arm extending towards her. Sister Teresa’s voice grew quieter and quieter until it stopped, she was completely enraptured by the blurry man. Emboldened by the sudden lack of prayer, he reached for Ava, so close that their breath mingled in the air. 

A moment later, she was in the past once more. This time, she was joined by not only the priest, but another man as well. 

“I did it, I’ve summoned you.” The priest addressed the other man with reverence, despite the unmistakable evil in his eyes. 

“Your sacrifice is commendable, Vincent.” 

“Thank you.” Father Vincent knelt before the man, a demonstration of his devotion. 

“When you were in the seminary, didn’t you learn not to make deals with the devil?” The evil man walked around Father Vincent, almost savouring his ability to speak.

“Yes, but…” 

“But what?” 

“The power.” Father Vincent was hesitant to answer, his voice a weak whisper. “It was irresistible, Adriel.” 

“You address me by name?” Adriel froze, eyes wide with anger. 

“I’m sorry… My lord.” Vincent corrected himself, too late of course, as Adriel was quick to anger. Ava watched in horror as claws sprouted from his hands, horns from his head. With a simple and efficient movement, Adriel struck his fist through the priest’s chest, leaving him to die on the floor. Only then did he turn to Ava. 

“You’d better get back, then.” 

As Ava’s mind returned to the present, a distinct scream filled the air. A second later, she realised it was her own, and snapped her jaw shut. 

“Sorry.” She whispered, painfully aware of her sister's eyes on her.    
“Teresa, keep reading.” Mother Superion instructed before turning her attention to Ava. “What did you see?” 

“Umm… Father Vincent, the ghost…” Ava stuttered, as the blurry man watched from the corner. “He was a priest but he did something awful.” 

“Which was?” She prompted.

“He was communing with the devil, I think. Working on summoning it… But…” Ava struggled to continue, the memory still fresh within her mind. Her entire body shook. “He was k-killed in the process.” 

“I see…” Mother Superion’s calm façade cracked, revealing her worry. 

As Teresa reached the final words of her prayer, a terrible shrieking filled the air. This time, however, it was from the blurry man instead of Ava. Everyone watched on in horror as he struggled to stay within their realm, fading from view. The crosses on the table shook and the lights flickered, increasing in intensity by second. And then, nothing. 

“Is it over?” Mary was the first to speak, looking between Ava and Mother Superion. 

“Ava, do you feel anything?” The older nun addressed her directly, surprising everyone. 

“I… No.” 

“You may break the circle now.” She instructed. Without hesitation, Shannon reached for the light switch, bathing the room in artificial light. 

“Was that it? Are we safe now?” Camila was cautiously hopeful. Meanwhile, Ava sat down on the couch behind her, feeling surprisingly exhausted after the ordeal. 

“There isn’t always levitation and spinning heads, you know.” Sister Teresa bit. Dark bags hung under her eyes, she seemed just as tired as Ava was.

“Teresa. No need to be rude.” Mother Superion chastised her. “Blow out the candles and pack everything up.”

“Ava?” Beatrice knelt on the floor in front of Ava, who was holding her head in her hands. “Are you okay?” 

“Hm?” Ava seemed a world away. “Yes, sorry.” 

“You don’t need to apologise.” Beatrice gave her a kind smile, although Ava’s words did little to ease her worry. 

“If there are no more spirits, Teresa and I will be returning to the church. Should there be any more incidents, you know where to find me.” Mother Superion announced before exiting the house. 

Just as suddenly, Ava booked out the door, leaving her confused sisters behind. “Can I ask you a question?” She panted, having caught Mother Superion out on the front sidewalk. 

“Not if it’s about being a nun as a Halloween costume.” She snapped, making Ava smile.

“Well, I won’t ask that one.” Ava quickly composed herself. “Seriously, why could I see… That. In there. When no one else could?” 

“Dark entities prefer to reveal themselves to those who possess more than their fair share of empathy. It’s an admirable trait, surprising in someone…” Mother Superion trailed off, deciding against adding  _ like you  _ to the end of her sentence. 

“Oh. Okay. Thank you.” Ava turned around to head back into the house. Neither nun replied, instead disappearing into the darkness. As she walked back into the house, Ava felt a myriad of emotions, a complex web to decipher. Most importantly, there were still Halloween costumes to be figured out for the parties this weekend. 


	17. Party at the Ass House Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the exorcism, there is partying to be done. Yet, a friendly ghost makes an appearance too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this got weirdly meta, but its always been stupid

Beatrice couldn’t help but feel deja vu as she watched Camila and Ava drunkenly jump around the dancefloor. This time, however, Shannon and Mary were by her side, watching the chaos. 

“Who’s that girl with them?” Beatrice asked, as a third woman joined her sisters.

“That’s Trish.” Shannon answered.

“She’s kind of a disaster - she’s one of the zeta girls.” Mary added. 

“Oh…” Beatrice nodded. The zeta girls were infamous for their party habits and terrible grades.

“Trish!” Ava and Camila shouted in unison. “What are you dressed as?!” 

“I’m…” She paused, already incredibly drunk. “Egyptian!” 

“That’s kind of offensive.” Camila whispered to Ava, who gave her a look of agreement. 

“What are you two?” Trish asked, her words slurred together. 

“Nuns!” Ava told her in a laugh, before taking another drink. 

“Oh.” Trish’s eyes got wide, before she pressed her hands together in prayer. “Bless you.” 

“Ha! Thank you.” Camila grinned, although Trish had already disappeared back into the crowd, presumably to find a frat guy to make out with. 

“She’s a bit crazy, huh?” 

“Yeah, but she’s fun!” Camila replied, before beginning to dance again. Ava did the same, bopping around, careful not to spill her drink. 

“Has Ava told you any more about what happened last night?” Shannon asked Beatrice as they continued to watch the dancefloor. 

“No. I’ve tried to ask her about it…” 

“She really won’t talk to you about it?” Mary sounded as if she didn’t believe her. 

“Not yet, at least.” Beatrice couldn’t help but feel guilty at the admission. 

“Well, if she talks to anyone about it, it’ll be you.” Shannon squeezed her on the shoulder, before she and Mary left her side to go mingle. 

The pounding bass drum filled her chest as Beatrice watched Ava and Camila dance around. This felt eerily familiar to last time, except she wasn’t nearly as envious. Granted, she wasn’t going to join them, but still. As Beatrice continued to reflect, she felt a tap on her shoulder. 

“Hey! Long time, no see!” The voice said from beneath a sheet. 

“Nice ghost costume. I can see a lot of effort went into it.” She quipped, as JC revealed himself.

“I know, I know. It’s lame. I only decided on it this afternoon.” He smiled cheekily. “Are you going to dance?” 

“No, I don’t think so.” Beatrice replied. They were both shouting over the din of the music. 

“Me neither, don’t have the feet for it.” He took a long swig of his beer. “Do you want to talk outside? For old time’s sake?” 

“Sure.” The music grew quieter as Beatrice followed JC into the backyard. Drunken students were dotted about, most of whom were in costume. 

“I like your costume.” JC commented once they had found a seat near the coolers full of drinks. 

“Thanks. It’s actually warm as well.” Beatrice ran her hands over the habit that covered her hair. As they were getting ready earlier, Ava told Beatrice that she looked really cute as a nun, whatever that meant. 

“It’s a bit non-traditional as far as sorority Halloween goes. Although, I guess it’s hyper traditional as far as Catholicism goes.” 

“It’s inspired by recent life events, actually.” Beatrice whispered, still in a state of disbelief about everything.

“Does this have anything to do with your haunting?” JC asked with a curious look on his face. 

“You know about that?” 

“Ava mentioned it. I thought she was kidding, but clearly not.” He pulled another drink from the cooler and offered one to Beatrice as well. Normally, she would stop after two, but it had been a hard week.

“She wasn’t. We had a legitimate ghost.  _ God,  _ even saying that out loud sounds ridiculous.” Beatrice cracked open the can and drank from it, immediately hating the sickly sweet flavoured alcohol. 

“It kind of does. What happened?” 

“Where to begin?” Beatrice paused and tried to collect her thoughts. “There were just a few noises, at first. Sometimes we would hear knocking or tapping from inside closets or cupboards. Everyone thought it was just the house, since it’s pretty old.” 

“I take it that it was more?” JC asked attentively.

“You got it. Ava and I saw it first. We were actually coming back from the last party here, when we saw the silhouette of a man in the window. No one, except Camila, believed us at first. But the next night, it tried to climb into bed with her.” 

“ _ It?! _ ” A look of genuine fear spread across JC’s face. 

“We called him the blurry man. It was as if, when you looked at him, your eyes couldn’t quite focus.” Beatrice explained, her pulse quickening as she did. To combat this, she downed the rest of her drink. JC did the same.

“That’s horrifying.”

“I know. The following night, Ava and Camila decided to contact him via Ouija board.” 

“No they didn’t! That’s a horrible idea!” He pulled yet another drink from the cooler, offering Beatrice another too. Once more, she accepted. 

“They did. At first, no one thought it would work. But the little pointer was spinning around all on it’s own, answering their questions.” The memory was still vivid in Beatrice’s mind, refusing to be blunted by the alcohol. 

“I would have died.” JC mumbled, trying to imagine what it must have been like. 

“It got worse still, the day Ava and I had our first…” Beatrice trailed off, almost more scared to say  _ date  _ than she was to recount her recent ghost story. “Date.” She finally added.

“Date?!” The grin on JC’s face was massive, setting Beatrice at ease instantly. He slapped her on the back, perhaps slightly too hard in his drunken state. “Congratulations!” 

“T-Thank you.” It wasn’t the reaction Beatrice was expecting, it was better. She smiled for a moment before continuing the story. “We were watching a movie together, all of us. A horror movie, of course. All of a sudden, the TV turned off, and his reflection was there.” 

JC’s hands covered his mouth in shock. “We all turned around and there he was. The blurry man. He crept towards us. It was so scary, honestly.” Beatrice could hear herself slurring her words slightly, her sentences becoming oddly stilted. “It was cold, colder than it had been minutes before. All the lights were flickered as he climbed towards us… But then he just vanished.” 

“Holy shit, that’s insane.” JC breathed. “What did you do next?” 

“Research.” Beatrice laughed as she thought of Eunice. “So much research. Turns out, there was a murder in our house.” 

“Woah…” His eyes were as wide as saucers, the drink in his hand all but forgotten. 

“A priest was killed there, over a hundred years ago. He was messing around with the occult? Or, something like that?” For some odd reason, Beatrice was suddenly having trouble remembering the smaller details, despite how recent it was. 

“Did you guys figure out how to get rid of him?” 

“We called a local church. Had an exorcism. The whole nine yards.” Beatrice concluded, unwilling to delve into more detail.

“Fuck.” JC was quiet for a moment, before his eyes lit up. 

“You two are hanging out again?!” Ava yelled from the doorway. 

“Ava!” Beatrice called, spreading her arms wide. Ava and Camila bounded across the grass.

“Beatrice!” Ava replied, hugging her tightly. In her dancing craze, Ava had lost her habit and her hair was sweaty. Camila was in a similar state of disarray. As they broke apart, Ava kept one arm tightly around Beatrice’s waist and eyed her carefully. “Are you… Drunk?” 

“Are you?” Beatrice countered, aware that the answer was obviously both.

“I want to be part of the hug too!” Camila mumbled, pulling them both in closely. 

“I think I’ll leave you girls to it then.” JC laughed, before pulling his costume back on and wandering towards a group of his brothers. 

“Bye!” Ava called with a wave. Beatrice and Camila quickly matched the gesture. Finally, Camila let the hug break apart. Now they were just three nuns standing in the cold backyard of a frat house. An odd sight if there ever was one. 

“Are you two done dancing?” Beatrice asked them, surprised at how difficult it was to put a sentence together. 

“I am.” Ava took one of Beatrice’s hands and clumsily spun under it. “Unless you’d like to dance, m’lady.”

“So  _ cute _ !” Camila giggled as she looked on.

“Don’t encourage this.” Beatrice grumbled. 

A moment later, Lilith appeared in the doorway. She was greeted by a chorus of three cheering her name, as though she’d just scored a game winning touchdown. In long, graceful steps she crossed the yard towards her drunken sisters. 

“What is wrong with you three?” She inquired, looking at Beatrice in particular. 

“Oh no.” Ava’s voice was small. “Peppa is mad.” At that, the three of them exploded with laughter, while Lilith rolled her eyes. 

“ _ Christ.  _ What am I going to do with you?” She turned to go find Mary and Shannon. She didn’t favour her chances of trying to wrangle all three of them back to the house. 

“She can’t say that!” Beatrice seemed surprisingly offended. “She said the lord’s name in vain!” 

“Chill, Sister Christian.” Camila teased. “She’s not a real nun. That would be ridiculous.”

“Sister Christian.” Ava smirked. “That’s a good one.” She looked at Beatrice, whose cheeks were flushed from both the cold and the drinking. With surprising speed, Ava pressed a kiss to her lips, breaking apart just as quickly. 

“You two are so cute!” Camila hugged them both once more. “I wish I had someone to love.” 

“You do!” Ava told her.

“Oh yeah!” As if summoned, Lilith appeared once more, followed by Shannon and Mary who looked as though they were trying not to laugh. “Lilith! I love you!” 

“I…” Lilith was clearly taken aback. She’d told Camila before, but never in front of anyone. “I love you, too.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. 

“Young love, isn’t it grand?” Mary muttered to Shannon. 

“Ah, to be young again, my dear.” Shannon replied with equal unnecessary drama. “Come on, let’s get you guys back home. This has to be the worst group of nuns I’ve ever seen. I’m not an expert but I’m pretty sure getting drunk is a sin.” 

“Woah…” Ava mumbled as they began to walk, her eyes following someone in a pirate costume. “I should have gotten a sword to go with this.”

“That doesn’t even make sense…” Lilith told her as she guided Camila along the sidewalk.    
“Yeah, but it would have been  _ cool _ .” Ava did some sloppy punches and kicks as she stumbled along. “A demon-fighting nun!” She pantomimed fighting with an invisible sword.

“You’re ridiculous.” Beatrice whispered, as she clung onto Ava’s arm.

“Do you find it endearing yet?” Ava mumbled back, although neither of them were being as quiet as they thought they were. 

“I always have.” 


	18. Enough Hauntings for a Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice and Ava are hungover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHRISTMAS SEQUEL COMING SOON

“Oh my  _ God,  _ my head is pounding.” Beatrice whispered as she laid beside Ava in bed.

“That’s what usually happens.” Ava didn’t feel much better, but she was used to it. She was also prepared where Beatrice wasn’t, a rarity in itself. She rolled over, reaching into her bedside drawer, and withdrawing a bottle of painkillers. Atop the nightstand were two gatorades, which Ava had placed there the night before. 

“Take two.” Ava pressed the pills into Beatrice’s hand, setting the gatorade next to her. 

“You planned for this?” Beatrice raised an eyebrow, but did as she was told. 

“I don’t know about you, but we had an  _ exorcism _ here. Our house was legit haunted. So yeah, I was planning on getting drunk.” Ava explained as she rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling. 

“There are probably healthier coping mechanisms than that.”

“Okay, first of all, you sound like JC. Second of all, you’re hungover too. And, you slept in my room in your  _ holy wardrobe,  _ not very sisterly of you.” Ava giggled as she curled up around Beatrice. 

“Funny.” Beatrice retorted, although she smiled all the same. “Are you ever going to tell us what you saw that day?”

“Do you want to know?” Ava’s voice became much more serious.   
“Ava! Of course I do! We all do.” 

“Oh.” Ava didn’t speak for several minutes after that, instead opting to press herself into Beatrice a little bit tighter. 

“I saw him get murdered.” Ava whispered into Beatrice’s shoulder.

“You what?” Beatrice almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I closed my eyes and I wasn’t here anymore. Or, I was, but it was the past.” Ava sighed, her head hurt from the night before. “It’s difficult to explain. Didn’t you see anything?” 

“No, none of us did. It was terrifying, of course, but no one else saw anything.” 

“Hm… Maybe Mother Superion was right.” 

“I need more of an explanation than that.” 

“When I ran outside to ask about it… She said that ghosts like to manifest themselves to people who are particularly empathetic.” Ava mumbled, blushing as though she were embarrassed. 

“Hmm…” Beatrice rubbed small circles on Ava’s back as she held her. “That makes sense actually.” 

“It does?” 

“Yes. Not just as far as the haunting goes, though.” 

“What are you talking about?” Ava seemed genuinely confused. 

“You’re an intuitive person. You know things about people before they tell you.” Beatrice smiled as she thought of her conversation with Ava in the orchard. 

“It’s because I have…” She wiggled her fingers dramatically. “The gift.” 

“Can you be serious for one moment?” 

“Statistically speaking, no.” Ava giggled for a moment, but then met Beatrice’s dark gaze. “But for you? Yes.”    
“What else did you see?” Beatrice asked while her cheeks flushed. Ava’s sincerity made her blush. 

“Father Vincent, the ghost, he was trying to summon demons. Or the devil, perhaps? He was writing in blood in his secret book, but then he disrespected the demon and it killed him.” Ava clarified with a shiver. The memory existed somewhere between a dream and reality. 

“He must not have been a very good priest if he was summoning demons.” Beatrice muttered, as she squeezed Ava tightly, sensing the younger girl was still frightened. Simultaneously, she thought of the priest from her church back home. He had caused so much trouble for her and her parents.    
“It was…” Ava was going to make a joke of it, but decided not to. “It was horrifying.” 

“I can imagine. I’m sorry.” Beatrice held her close, savouring the warmth between them. 

A knock on the door interrupted their hungover cuddle session, and Shannon stepped through before receiving a response. In her defense, she fully expected Ava to be asleep for another hour at least. 

“Beatrice!” Shannon was surprised to see her. “I didn’t expect to see you in here.” They seemed equally embarrassed by this. 

“We were quite intoxicated last night. Beatrice found her way here by mistake.” Ava covered up their relationship, unwilling to make Beatrice uncomfortable. 

“Ava, it’s alright.” Beatrice turned to Shannon, who still seemed stunned. “It appears that Ava and I are dating, although I must admit, we’ve definitely taken our courtship out of order.”

“ _ Jesus,  _ could you sound any more British?” Ava chuckled. “Maybe I should be calling you Peppa.”

“Don’t even joke.” Beatrice growled at her with a smile. 

“Anyways…” Shannon held a piece of paper in her hand, while rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly with the other one. “Ava, I have your grade check. Looks like you’ll be staying with us after all.” 

“Really?” Ava’s eyes grew wide as she looked over the sheet that Shannon handed her. 

“Really.” Shannon took a step back to leave. “So whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” She gave them both a quick smile before shutting the door behind her. Ava laid back down, the relief on her face clear. 

“I guess I’m not stupid, after all.” She sighed happily. 

“That was never the question.” Beatrice joined her on the pillow, their faces only inches apart. 

“I know, I know. Needing to apply myself and all that.” Ava quipped, while wrapping a hand around Beatrice’s waist. “We can’t all be superstar scientists like you.” 

“Perhaps not, but I think you have the potential to be more successful than you realise.” 

“Is that your professional opinion?” Ava teased, before placing a series of light kisses across Beatrice’s collarbone.

“Ava!” She couldn’t hope to answer with such a distraction. 

“You know, it’s been absolutely crazy the past few weeks.” Ava became suddenly introspective. “But now that everything is slightly more calm, maybe we could go on a second date?” 

“Well, we’ve already been sleeping together…” Beatrice found herself making a rare joke. “But yes, I’d like that.”

“Maybe now that Halloween season is nearly over we could do something Christmas-y. Like ice skating, or sledding!” Ava’s thoughts ran wild with seasonal possibilities. “And maybe we’ll be haunted by Krampus instead!” 

“Don’t even joke. I think I’ve had enough hauntings for a lifetime.” 


End file.
